The Wicked Prince and the Ice Maiden (6)
by Deliverer
Summary: The wedding nears but things are not going smoothly. A fight with pirates, a secret, and an attack lead to the discovery of a mysterious woman, an unknown. Her blatant obsession with Hans burns Elsa, but she doesn't know the half of it. When the Princes turn against her, shock and confusion overwhelm; but there is more to this story. When Hans starts regressing, things get ugly.
1. The Wicked Prince

**Angel in the Snow, Demon in the Shadows 6: The Wicked Prince and the Ice Maiden**

(A/N: Preceded by _Of the Cursed Mirror and its Wicked Master (5)_. **Warning** , dark themes ahead. Surprisingly dark. This story kind of weaves a good bit with the book Frozen Heart, putting in more details and kind of showing more of the sort of man Hans was, while also entwining with the H.C. Andersen story 'The Wicked Prince', which is in italics. Hence its dark themes. Yeah, for a children's fairytale, that story was kind of disturbing. Not necessarily as much so as 'The Shadow', but in the context of this? Enough said. In fact the fairy tale might be more disturbing in and of itself depending on the reader. In future chapters, bits and pieces of his also dark novella 'The Ice Maiden' will also be showcased. This installment of my series will be another pretty emotional one, as well as in part a horror and psychological thriller type thing. This chapter starts out pretty black and disturbing, so brace yourselves.)

The Wicked Prince

 _There lived, once upon a time, a wicked prince whose heart and mind were set upon conquering all the countries of the world, and on frightening the people._

The terror on the faces of the citizens was clear whenever he rode by with his father's soldiers, _his_ soldiers now he supposed, at his back. His own personal battalion, the King had called them when he'd put these men under his authority for reasons Hans still didn't know and didn't care to know. The fact was he commanded them, end of story, and they got the job done and they got it done well. Every time he rode down these streets with them behind him, the people knew what was about to happen. Devastation, doom, and despair unless he was otherwise in a good mood. Then it might just be despair and a bit of devastation on the side.

The law was simple, cooperate and pay on time you went on with your lives merrily as could be. Minus a good chunk of your profit, of course, but hey, father left them enough to live on. If barely. Don't cooperate, you suffered. It wasn't that hard to follow and yet somehow people just didn't get it. That was usually where the Brute Squad came in, but he got a feeling his father was grooming him to be part of them to get some use out of him, so whatever. He'd put _himself_ in this position after all. End goal Arendelle and getting out of this nightmarish hell he was stuck in. If that required being his father's lap dog for a while, fine. It would be worth it all to leave the Isles forever anyway.

 _He devastated their countries with fire and sword, and his soldiers trod down the crops in the fields and destroyed the peasants' huts by fire, so that the flames licked the green leaves off the branches, and the fruit hung dried up on the singed black trees._

When the columns of smoke rose high into the sky, all eyes would turn in that direction. Again, every one of them knew what it meant. It meant disobedience or failure to comply. It meant fields had been bathed in blood and they'd suddenly be seeing one less shopkeeper and their family around the villages and towns under the King's rule. It also meant that much less food. Hans had never really understood why father had wanted fields burned. Most often they were well-producing land that could be confiscated or worked again. It was a waste, but then he supposed it was all part of the fearmongering. Oh dad was good at fearmongering… _He_ was…

Frozen

 _Many a poor mother fled, her naked baby in her arms, behind the still smoking walls of her cottage; but also there the soldiers followed her, and when they found her, she served as new nourishment to their diabolical enjoyments; demons could not possibly have done worse things than these soldiers!_

He wiped his sword clean of the blood as the body of the man fell to the ground. When he came down alone, she would know what had happened to her husband. They always did. The horror and fear in their faces… He closed his eyes, scowling and wiping the image away… He'd stopped watching them… No matter how he tried to find enjoyment in their terror, he never could. Of course he didn't exactly take displeasure in it either. It was just business in the end. Business… He could have scoffed.

When he came down he could hear her audible gasp and her sobbed 'no'. He moved swiftly passed her and her infant. He turned a deaf ear to her pleading and slammed the door of the house behind him, jamming it shut. She continued to beg. Why did they always continue to beg, dammit? What, it wasn't clear by now that there was no mercy from the King of the Southern Isles or from its princes?

 _You're lying to yourself._

He'd shown mercy before... helped others escape... But that was when he'd worked alone and without enforcers. Nowadays mercy wasn't an option. "Burn it!" he ordered.

"There is no escape for her, my lord?" one of the men asked. Not because he cared, of course, but because the men wanted to ensure the king's wishes were carried out.

"No," Hans answered flatly. Which was a blatant lie, he'd seen the back door. He didn't know why he bothered lying to them. They always searched anyway. And found the fleeing women trying to escape a fiery death. Whether he said yes or no it didn't matter. They searched. He'd attempted saying 'yes' in an ill-destined attempt at reverse psychology or something of the sort. The only difference it had made was how much pain he'd ended up in when father got wind of his antics. They all assumed, by now, that when he said 'no' he was being snide and sarcastic because every one of these slobs had known what 'no' meant after the first couple of times he'd said it and suffered for his lies. When he said yes, they assumed he was trying to genuinely trick them into thinking 'yes' meant no, and then word of that got back to dad and presto, he was enduring a torture session at the hands of Lars.

'Hey, just so you know I don't relish this, so no hard feelings little brother, it's just business!'

Business. Always just business...

Sure enough, when they put a torch to the house the woman panicked. As usual. The baby started screaming and weeping. The woman started begging for mercy. The soldiers prepared for when her screams for mercy stopped, because that meant she was making a break for it and she was fair game. "She has a baby. Bring it to me. Alive," Hans warned darkly. If he didn't warn them to do so, they would end up dashing it to pieces. If there were children, same story. He'd learned that the hard way and had gone into a state that had been akin to shock. Which had implied weakness, which meant weakness needed to be beaten out of him, which meant another untimely visit to Mael, except he'd been lucky—he couldn't believe he was calling it lucky—and Jürgen had been with him at the time.

'We all die, little brother, get over it. It's part of life. The babe wouldn't have lived long without its mother anyway. The orphanage isn't equipped to handle infants. Most die of loneliness within a few months. If anything killing it was a mercy. Spared it a slow death. Oh, the children? Well the orphanage isn't a nice place for children to be anyway. It was a mercy.'

The pleas stopped. She was running. As usual. The soldiers took off without an order, to Hans's annoyance. It meant he didn't have as much power over them as father tried to make him believe. He never chased her down with them. He knew what they did to the women when they caught them. He always thanked fortune that the fires consuming the house and fields crackled so loudly that he didn't hear the screams. If he didn't go after them, he didn't get the urge to slaughter them all. He waited, watching the house burn and the smoke curl up into the sky. If only _he_ could be so free. Sometimes it was hours before they'd return. He'd usually leave and wait for them at an inn or tavern. Usually that happened only if the woman was alone. Or if her children were old enough to understand what was happening. With a baby nearby they'd be quick. They didn't want to deal with a screaming infant, but they knew killing it would bring down his wrath on them and that was something no one wanted to face. They'd learned _that_ the hard way... He still sometimes saw the terror flickering in their eyes if the child or infant he'd ordered them to bring back alive ended up injured in even the slightest way...

Sure enough, they were back in only a little while. She hadn't suffered too long then. The man holding the baby plopped it disgustedly into his arms and he looked down at it. A son, he noted. He'd been cordial to the couple, at first. Asked what the child's name was. They'd told him it was only a couple of days old, that they hadn't decided on a name. When the father had offered to let him name it, he'd known they couldn't pay up and had told them calmly and clearly that bribing him wasn't going to work. The dad had caught on. He'd brought him upstairs to his room, turned to him, and told him to name it anyway because it was apparent they'd never get the chance to. He'd told the man he was right and, well, enough said. Before the man had died, Hans had whispered the name it would be called. Mordred. Mordred because he wished to _god_ he had the guts to do to his own father what Mordred had done to Arthur, albeit Arthur's death was underserved. Mordred because he hoped to god that one day this baby would grow up and come after him and hunt him down and kill him for all he'd done and would yet do, and all the soldiers as well… He'd seen peace reflected in the man's eyes as he died, and he knew the infant's father had understood completely.

Frozen

 _The prince was of the opinion that all this was right, and that it was only the natural course which things ought to take. His power increased day by day, his name was feared by all, and fortune favoured his deeds._

As they rode away, he told himself it was just business. The law was the law, he was upholding the law, as twisted as it might be. If you couldn't contribute to the crown, you died. End of story. If you couldn't live on what you were given, you were doomed anyway. The strong and obedient lived, the weak and rebellious died, it was the natural course of things. "My Lord, your plans for the baby?" a soldier asked.

"That is none of your concern," Hans answered.

"The law is clear on the matter of dealing with families, my Lord, the babe cannot..." the soldier said. It was the last thing he ever _did_. The others were left gaping in horror as the body fell to the ground minus the head. The prince both hated and loved that he'd smirked. The baby started wailing again.

"Shh, hush little one. It's alright now," he cooed, holding it close.

 _No man such as him should have the honor of holding something as pure and innocent as a newborn so close to his breast and pretend that he's doing right by it._

"Now, does anyone else want to question me?" Hans asked, turning to the men. Alright, so maybe sometimes he loved the terror he instilled. It made him feel powerful. And day by day he _did_ get more powerful. Suddenly the obscure throwaway prince was being remembered. Suddenly his name was being whispered in the streets in dread, and when people saw him they cowered or bowed or paid tribute—read bribes—that he got to keep for himself. He'd become daddy dearest's boogeyman. Maybe _that_ was what father had in mind. Not that he should become one of the Brute Squad, but that he should become the horror in the night. It was generally night when he struck anyway. He chuckled to himself as he cradled the infant and he was sure his men thought he was crazy. He probably was, because he could have sworn he saw hatred unmatched in that baby's eyes as it looked up at him. But babies didn't feel hate. They couldn't. They didn't even know what it meant.

He made a gesture with his hand and his men got the cue. They rode onward towards the palace, leaving him to deal with the child as he saw fit. He watched them leave then turned and rode towards the orphanage. This marked about the tenth or eleventh child he'd be dropping off there. He hated that he'd become a regular presence at their doorstep. He really didn't want to be. He would have preferred leaving them at a church or temple doorstep and letting _them_ deal with the waifs... But every time he went near one he could swear he felt himself burning up... See, crazy. He knew that wasn't possible.

 _That night he could have sworn he heard a baby crying in his dreams…_

Frozen

 _He brought enormous wealth home from the conquered towns, and gradually accumulated in his residence riches which could nowhere be equalled. He erected magnificent palaces, churches, and halls, and all who saw these splendid buildings and great treasures exclaimed admiringly; "What a mighty prince!" but they did not know what endless misery he had brought upon other countries, nor did they hear the sighs and lamentations which rose up from the debris of the destroyed cities._

It was no secret the Southern Isles was among the richest of kingdoms known. Their allies were awed at the wealth and splendour, at everything the King built up on the gold he had accumulated over the years, or had his sons build up in his name. It was favored gossip among other royals and the nobility, in fact, and the king made it no secret that Hans was responsible for a good large chunk of it. The nobles praised him almost more than they praised Caleb, at this point, and that made Hans feel extremely powerful and defiant and cocky. To be called a mighty prince instead of an extra was the highlight of each feast. That was father's way. Reward evil, punish good. Though really the King was getting the best of both worlds with him, because the more he praised the youngest and the more the youngest was praised by others, the more the older ones resented and whispered and scoffed and the crueler they got, and while once he would have given anything to be praised by his father like he was being as of late, he hadn't factored in the possibility he just _might_ have wanted it only as long as he didn't lose his brothers in the process. Ugh, if he were an only child this would be so much easier to enjoy.

The nobility and allied kings and queens, of course, had no idea what had been done to accumulate that wealth. The cities destroyed, the countries vanquished. Well, the kings and queens who had been conquered knew, but none of them dared speak up in Father's presence. They understood fully they were under his control. Their loss, the Southern Isles's gain… But Hans found that about halfway through this recent dinner, he couldn't stay anymore. He told himself it was because he had to prepare for another task he was meant to carry out tomorrow. He could almost convince himself it was true except for that one little annoying voice in his head that said otherwise… He despised that voice and constantly buried it away. It had no business existing.

Frozen

 _The prince often looked with delight upon his gold and his magnificent edifices, and thought, like the crowd: "What a mighty prince! But I must have more. Much more. No power on earth must equal mine, far less exceed it."_

He found himself thinking that thought, at least, before realizing it was his father's and noting in terror that he was being assimilated… And then also promptly realizing that even if he was, he didn't half mind the way that statement sounded to him either… Maybe it was correct? After all the Isles was preparing for another needless power grab—read war—against an alliance of three other kingdoms they really didn't need under their thumb. It was possible, and he almost dared hope, that father was trying to kill off his older brothers so that he could hand the throne to his youngest. No, even _he_ knew how ridiculous that was. The man was probably trying to kill off some of the castaways. Heaven forbid he put the seven oldest ones on the front lines. Or if he did, the three eldest at least certainly wouldn't be up there.

"Hans, it's time to go," Kelin-Sel, already decked out in armor, said. Hans turned from the treasury to face his sibling. After a moment he nodded. "How are you? In the wake of… of the orphanage being burned to the ground?" Father's order, of course. Word had come to him form one of his many reliable spies—read Jürgen—that Hans had been sparing children. So father had decided to teach him a lesson and sent out Caleb, Justic, and Lars to deal with it. Read burn it to the ground with every living thing inside. Meanwhile, Hans had been set on by the brute squad. And Kelin-Sel himself. Dryly Kelin-Sel noted that Hans hadn't been the only one being punished for something… Iscawin had reported he'd heard their sibling's cries of pain from his room… Kelin-Sel, for his part, had watched numbly as the Brute Squad had mercilessly pounded their brother.

 _Hans on the ground lying broken and unable to move. He doubted his brother even wanted to. He fully believed Hans would have liked to die in that moment, and the way their brothers were having at him, it was a possibility. Franz, enraged, stood domineeringly over him. He would never have admitted it, but Kelin-Sel knew it was because something inside of the 'party prince' had died when father ordered the orphanage burned and informed them it was Hans's doing. Maybe something in all of them had._

 _"_ _Stand up you f***ing weakling!" Franz had roared, kicking their brother in the stomach as hard as he could. It had ruptured something inside of the youngest. He would have died there if Lars hadn't been present to heal him. FYI, healing him hadn't been a mercy. Or maybe in some twisted way it **had** been, because in that moment Hans had felt like he deserved every second of it. He didn't even fight like he usually would try to._

 _"_ _Only a f***ing coward lays there and takes it! Get up!" Jürgen had shouted. He was the next one to break something on his brother's body. Jürgen who wished to god he was the one in his sibling's place at that point… He had expected praise, maybe a reward, and a chance to beat on Hans. He hadn't expected father to order the place burned down with everyone inside. He knew it was more his fault than Hans's, but in the end the remorseless lived, the remorseful died. Hans was already on borrowed time anyway._

Hans was quiet. "Caleb's weak," he soon answered. "You know as well as I do that he let them live."

"The orphans screaming at the window?" Kelin-Sel asked. Reports had come in from all around about that.

"Illusion," Hans said.

"You're in denial," Kelin-Sel said.

"No. I'm not," Hans replied, tossing back a book. Caleb's diary. Kelin-Sel, curious, took it and looked inside, reading the marked passage. His body visibly sagged in relief. "Whatever illusionist they used, he was good. Justic smuggled them out to his own little island with no trouble whatsoever. At least... some of them... Father was none the wiser."

Kelin-Sel was quiet. "What were you doing with Caleb's diary?" he asked.

"Considering revenge," Hans answered. "Have you read _1001 Arabian Nights_?"

Hans hadn't needed to elaborate. In that book there was a story of a man sentenced to die, who brought before the Sultan, or whatever the ruler was, a book that he claimed would let him hear a condemned prisoner's severed head speak to him. The ruler carried out the execution, placed the head where he was told, and it spoke. It told the Sultan to flip through the pages of the book. He did so, licking his fingers as he went. Long story short, the pages were poisoned. Every time the man licked his fingers to turn a page, more of said poison entered his body. He died painfully.

"Did you poison Caleb to get to father?" Kelin-Sel asked.

"I considered it," Hans admitted. "Until I read that entry."

Kelin-Sel nodded. "It's time to go," he said.

"I'm ready," Hans replied, joining his sibling. To live _or_ die.

Frozen

 _He made war with all his neighbours, and defeated them. The conquered kings were chained up with golden fetters to his chariot when he drove through the streets of his city. These kings had to kneel at his and his courtiers' feet when they sat at table, and live on the morsels which they left._

Well, truth be told that was his father's doing, but he _felt_ like it was his. The prince in that case was the king. The courtiers were the princes. For a moment, as he looked back, he wondered, though.

 _At last the prince had his own statue erected on the public places and fixed on the royal palaces; nay, he even wished It to be placed in the churches, on the altars, but in this the priests opposed him, saying: "Prince, you are mighty indeed, but God's power is much greater than yours; we dare not obey your orders."_

 _"_ _Well," said the prince. "Then I will conquer God too."_

He wrote the word god to by symbolic. Really 'god' in this paragraph was Arendelle. Arendelle which, while peaceful, had become potentially more powerful than the Southern Isles. The King had gotten wind of the corruption and evil of the Isles. He and his Queen had formed allies. Many, many allies. Corona, Avalor, Weselton, Cumberland, the list went on. The King of Arendelle had been scoffed at by his council. After he died, they had taken over until Arendelle's oldest princess came of age to take the throne. On hearing of the defeat of the three kings, said council had suddenly become acutely aware of how right the old king had been, and of how close Arendelle was to the Southern Isles. Sensing that at any moment _its_ King might get it into his head that he could wipe them out, they'd hastened Elsa's ascent as much as they could. The time to strike was then. Hans had pitched his idea to go to Arendelle and the rest? Well… 'Then I will conquer Arendelle too.' Father hadn't necessarily meant conquer it by force, Hans still wasn't sure what the man had meant in the end, but regardless it had ended the same. 'Go with my blessing. Make our presence known and make it clear. Represent us well. Do me proud for _your_ sake,' father had said. He'd _partially_ succeeded.

 _And in his haughtiness and foolish presumption, he ordered a magnificent ship to be constructed, with which he could sail through the air; it was gorgeously fitted out and of many colours; like the tail of a peacock, it was covered with thousands of eyes, but each eye was the barrel of a gun. The prince sat in the center of the ship and had only to touch a spring in order to make thousands of bullets fly out in all directions, while the guns were at once loaded again. Hundreds of eagles were attached to this ship, and it rose with the swiftness of an arrow up towards the sun._

He'd gawked at the ship in stunned disbelief. It was beautiful! How the hell it was floating still he didn't know, and probably never would, but it was beautiful! More than beautiful, it was deadly and dangerous. It hadn't been as spectacular as he was writing it, really, that would have been impractical in every sense, but it had been a sight. Eagles were indeed attached to it, as carvings. There were indeed many guns, it was a war ship more than a ship you'd send to represent a nation that was looking for peace. He did indeed have complete control over it and its crew, the 'spring' had been the crew. It had indeed been fast, and it had indeed risen with the swiftness of an arrow soaring across the 'air', that was the sea, towards the sun. The sun which was again Arendelle. More freedom than Arendelle, actually. A way to break away from home, from his brothers, from his father, from grief and deceit and monstrous deeds… A way to forget, if only for a while.

 _The earth was soon left far below and looked, with its mountains and woods, like a cornfield where the plough had made furrows which separated green meadows; soon it looked like only a map with indistinct lines upon it; and at last it entirely disappeared in mist and clouds._

The Southern Isles far behind. Nothing but a memory, for a time. A future that maybe could be bright lay ahead, a future that would take him forever from that nightmarish hell that was home… But though he was for a time free of the monsters that were his father and his brothers, he wasn't free of _himself_ … As it turned out _he_ was a monster too, though he hadn't seen it immediately. Or hadn't acknowledged it at least.

 _Higher and higher rose the eagles up into the air; then God sent one of his numberless angels against the ship. The wicked prince showered thousands of bullets upon him, but they rebounded from his shining wings and fell down like ordinary hailstones. One drop of blood, one single drop, came out of the white feathers of the angel's wings and fell upon the ship in which the prince sat, burnt into it, and weighed upon it like thousands of hundredweights, dragging it rapidly down to the earth again. The strong wings of the eagles gave way, the wind roared round the prince's head, and the clouds around—were they formed by the smoke rising up from the burnt cities?—took strange shapes, like crabs many, many miles long, which stretched their claws out after him, and rose up like enormous rocks, from which rolling masses dashed down and became fire-spitting dragons._

The bullets were his deceits that at the time had seemed so promising, the angel was Arendelle, the drop of blood… the drop of blood was Elsa… Elsa who had fallen upon his heart and soul and mind against his bidding and burned into his being, who had weighed upon his conscience like thousands of hundredweights dragging him rapidly down to earth again. Forcing him to start to see the truth of what he was. Forcing him to see that he _was_ the monster he'd tried to flee and torturing what little remnants of a conscience he'd had! The screams of the men and women who had died at his hands, the sobbing of the infants and children, the smoke curling up from every destroyed farmhouse or village. Those crimes were him. They were all him! As much as he tried to tell himself it was for a greater good or for father, it had been _him_ , and the sudden guilt and the understanding… The moment he had called to her not to be the monster they feared she was, he'd known it was the inner voice talking to him too. The way she looked at him in the prison when he'd gone to plead with her to end the winter, the despair and helplessness… _She_ had been the mirror, then. He had seen in her what he had once been and might still be buried away somewhere… But he could shake it off. He always could... And he had, and had come back more vicious than ever.

 _The prince was lying half-dead in his ship, when it sank at last with a terrible shock into the branches of a large tree in the wood._

 _"_ _I will conquer God!" said the prince. "I have sworn it; my will must be done!"_

 _And he spent seven years in the construction of wonderful ships to sail through the air, and had darts cast from the hardest steel to break the walls of heaven with. He gathered warriors from all countries, so many that when they were placed side by side they covered the space of several miles._

The warriors the following he'd gathered in Arendelle. Of course, their expanse wasn't so vast, and it certainly hadn't taken seven years - more like hours - but that was hardly the point. Their assault on Elsa's ice palace...

 _They entered the ships and the prince was approaching his own, when God sent a swarm of gnats, one swarm of little gnats._

His pursuit of her across the frozen Fjords. The gnats the inklings of guilt and conscience and realization brought about her and by his thoughts during that chase.

 _They buzzed round the prince and stung his face and hands; angrily he drew his sword and brandished it, but he only touched the air and did not hit the gnats. Then he ordered his servants to bring costly coverings and wrap him in them, that the gnats might no longer be able to reach him. The servants carried out his orders, but one single gnat had placed itself inside one of the coverings, crept into the prince's ear, and stung him._

Anna's cry. 'No!' The princess moving in front of the blade meant to cut down the thing that threatened to draw out parts of him he never wanted to face again.

 _The place burnt like fire, and the poison entered into his blood. Mad with pain, he tore off the coverings and his clothes too, flinging them far away, and danced about before the eyes of his ferocious soldiers who now mocked at him, the mad prince, who wished to make war with God, and was overcome by a single little gnat._

Frozen

He stopped writing, suddenly, and glared at the paper with nothing short of hatred. Hatred because of the memories it dragged up, hatred for the realities it was forcing him to confront. Hatred because on paper, laid clearly before him, it couldn't be shoved aside or avoided. A personal condemnation, so to speak. Here, like this, he could see so plainly the sort of monster he had been… Might still be underneath it all…

 _'She froze your heart!'_

 _'The only one with a frozen heart here is you!'_

He shook his head. "Oh Anna, if only you had known how right you were… I don't think I would have been sent home to my brothers alive then," he said out loud. "I shouldn't have been… Men like me don't get second chances." Or shouldn't. How many men who could have been redeemed had been killed for less, he wondered? How many who had never needed redemption in the first place? It hardly seemed very fair, but then since when was life and reality fair? He heard guns firing and looked sharply up. He cursed under his breath and shoved the short story into his desk before racing out to see what was going on. The pirates they were hunting, he'd bet. Just what he needed now. Humph, privateer had never been on his list of things to be, but oh well.


	2. The Pirate and the Lady

The Pirate and the Lady

Kristoff stood on the balcony, looking down at the gathered people near petrified. Anna's hand slipped into his and gently she squeezed it. He looked fearfully over at her. She smiled reassuringly and for a moment he felt calmer. He smiled uneasily back then looked out over the crowds again. "I present to you the King of the Valley of the Living Rock!" Elsa called out, gesturing to the ice harvester and Anna. She stepped back, smiling encouragingly at them, and they stepped forward together. Kristoff raised his hand in the air, still linked with Anna's, and the people cheered.

Elsa inwardly sighed in relief. After agreeing to take a husband, she'd all but blackmailed her counsel and advisors into publically acknowledging Kristoff as royalty. They did so on the condition that Elsa would acknowledge him a 'King of the Valley of the Living Rock' rather than 'King of the Trolls'. Elsa had happily agreed, and now everything was set. After she married Hans, Kristoff and Anna could have a show wedding so the public would see they were one. Anna had suggested a double wedding, and Elsa had considered it briefly before deciding she wanted her wedding to be her own. She had told Anna as much, who had agreed, too excited for her sister to be upset. Subtly Elsa slipped away. Her sister and brother-in-law would wrap this up. Right now she had a letter to write to her fiancé. She stopped a moment, running this word around in her head again. Fiancé, fiancé… She was engaged. To _Hans_ of all people! It still seemed so surreal. It felt so… so surreal. Elsa looked down at her left hand. On it sat a lovey ring. Where he'd found the gemstone she'd never know, nor had she cared to ask. She smiled softly to herself.

 _She was climbing the gangplank onto the boat that would take her back to Arendelle, mind swirling with a thousand different thoughts and still trying to process this had actually all happened. "Queen Elsa!" she heard him call. She turned and saw Hans riding Sitron and trotting towards the ship. She waited as he dismounted and came up to her. Without a word he reached into a pocket and withdrew a small box. Her heart had skipped a beat, she was pretty sure, though why she didn't know. Maybe it was just because she still couldn't believe what she'd done. "I'm afraid I don't have any romantic plans or scenarios laid out in which to give you this, but then I've never been big on cliché, and I doubt either you or me would appreciate it, given the fact this is a marriage of convenience. Here. An engagement ring. It just seemed something you should have. You gave me the pendant, so I'll give you a ring."_

 _He handed the box to her. She took it from his hands and opened it, catching her breath. "Hans…" she said, but she couldn't find words to speak beyond that. It was so beautiful. She was touched he'd taken into account her skin tone and what would flatter it. She was pleased, also, that while it was indeed stunning, it wasn't elaborate. An intricate pattern cut into the band, the gemstones... Wow._

 _He smirked, noting her loss of words. His smile, though, became serious again soon enough. "Be careful on your way home. The ocean is dangerous."_

 _"_ _I will. Thank you," she said as she slipped on the ring. She admired it a moment then looked down at him. She considered kissing the prince's cheek, but refrained. He nodded, taking her hand and raising her knuckles to his lips, bowing to her. Releasing her hand, he returned to his horse and mounted it as she went up to the deck and stood watching as the Southern Isles faded away in the distance. And him…_

Shaking out of the memory, Elsa continued on her way to the study and entered it, going to the desk and beginning to pen a letter.

Frozen

 _Dear Hans,_

 _Kristoff has been officially acknowledged as royalty. The King of the Valley of the Living Rock. Now Anna and he may go through with their show wedding without scandal. After, of course, we have gone through with ours. The council was so thrilled about my choosing a consort that they allowed it with little argument, but all of these catches and clauses promise to get burdensome. I really must find time to review the laws of Arendelle and make amendments where amendments should be._

 _Other than Kristoff's newfound position, there is little to tell. He will remain the same ice harvester as always. Really the title is only a formality until the day the troll children are old enough to return to the Valley of their parents and inhabit it again. I wish him all the best when that time comes._

 _Love,_

 _Elsa_

 _…_

 _Dear Elsa,_

 _It is good to hear that all is in order, now. Soon enough you will be introducing your new brother-in-law the troll king. I can only imagine the reactions_ _ **that**_ _will bring about when you are entertaining foreign dignitaries, but at least it is something. It is good to know you took my advice to heart and acted on it._

 _Strife has arisen on the sea. The pirate Xe has returned to his old tricks, and this time his efforts are focused within the borders of the Southern Isles. He is challenging the pirate Meilic, I believe. Jürgen of course took him up on it with vigour and sorely underestimated the other this round. Xe attacked with a fleet and drove Meilic off. Raging, Jürgen came to us and demanded we give him back up against the threat so that we could utterly crush Xe's little power grab before it got out of hand. Caleb refused, but when Xe attacked an island and plundered the village and ravaged it, he relented and we sailed to face the pirate._

 _It was a hard won battle, but we were victorious. Xe has retreated, again, back into Arendelle's waters, and so we will be keeping an eye on that. Our ships were exhausted by the fight, though, and horribly damaged. We sail for the isle Jürgen has lordship over as I write this. It is the closest landmass to our position, and frankly it will be a miracle if this boat makes it there even then, it was so horribly maimed, but I am not overly alarmed. Meilic sent word for ships to be ready to escort our own the rest of the way in case something goes wrong, so we have our escape. In fact one of those ships approaches us even now._

 _I will keep you informed as to the goings on, your majesty. When next we speak we should discuss further plans for our wedding. Sham or not, we must make sure it is one that will be remembered. Take care of yourself, Elsa. And of Kristoff and Anna._

 _Love,_

 _Hans_

 _…_

 _Dear Hans,_

 _The Council becomes burdensome. They aggravate me to no end, saying such things as 'a man will complete you'. I feel complete as it is. A man is just an added formality. Oh, I am sorry, I do not mean to offend you, I just… It's frustrating. They think me useless without a man at my side, I fear._

 _I am glad to hear your battle against Xe was victorious. My heart dropped to read how maimed the ship was and the odds of reaching land. I wish you all the luck in the world._

 _Love,_

 _Elsa_

 _…_

 _Dear Elsa,_

 _The last thing you need to complete you is a man. You are already as whole as can be. I can't bring myself to be offended you referred to me as a formality. I'm well aware of how burdensome and condescending a council can be. For the longest time they pressed Caleb to marry, assumed he was too indecisive and too much father's puppet to get by on his own. He was pressured viciously to bear children to be heirs. Even to the point they belittled his manhood and implied that perhaps one of our other brothers should inherit father's throne when the man died._

 _I do not believe the Council considers you useless without a man, Elsa. No one in their right mind could deny that you are the most powerful ruler Arendelle has ever seen. No one could challenge that you have a mind of your own and that your decisions are well planned out. I think that perhaps they pressure you so much for the very same reason they pressured Moren. For both appearance's sake as well as the sake of bearing an heir. Which, admittedly, isn't much better. You could always tell them to shove it. It isn't as if they can defy you._

 _Things have taken an interesting turn. It seems Jürgen has been keeping secrets. Big ones. Ones that must be dealt with immediately. I'm not sure when next I'll be able to write you, but I wish you the best of luck as well, in dealing with the council._

 _Love,_

 _Hans_

 _…_

 _Dear Hans,_

 _I will await your response eagerly. I am beginning wedding arrangements on my end. When I can, I'll give you details and ask your opinion on things._

 _Love,_

 _Elsa_

Frozen

"I told you the plan would work," Jürgen-Meilic said proudly to his brothers, almost all of which looked seasick and uneasy.

"Barely. We're hardly even limping into harbor!" Justic protested. "Were you out of your mind when you ordered that stunt?"

"I've been on the seas longer than you've been walking, little brother. I know what I'm doing," Jürgen defended, frowning at his sibling.

"Yeah. Sure," Justic replied with a scoff, watching as Kelin-Sel threw up over the edge.

"Weak constitution," Jürgen defended, waving it off. He turned to look towards harbor then frowned and squinted. He grinned suddenly, and before any of his brothers could fully comprehend what he was doing, he dove over the edge of the ship into the water and began swimming towards the shore.

"Jürgen, what are you doing?!" Lars shouted after him.

"Who is he swimming towards?" Runo demanded.

"People," Rudi answered. Duach gave his twin an unimpressed glare. Rhun smirked mischievously. "A woman and five children, to be specific," he added, becoming serious again. And he had a sinking feeling where this was going.

Jürgen reached shore before the boat did and began walking through the shallows as the ship was being pulled up to the dock. His brothers, say for Moren, quickly leapt from it, not waiting for the gangplank, and ran to see what their brother was so determinedly swimming towards. "Daddy!" they heard the children cry out, and they froze in place, eyes widening.

"What?!" Moren exclaimed in shock as he came down the gangplank and froze on hearing those words. The others were no less stunned, and together they watched in disbelief as the children leapt into Jürgen's arms, peppering him with kisses.

Frozen

"Oh my darlings, I've missed you so!" Jürgen exclaimed with a laugh, holding the children close and spinning around in the water with them all either attached to his legs or waist, or held in his arms. He laughed as he fell into the water with them and kissed them fervently over and over. He looked back, grinning softly at the woman. Lovingly. She was grinning as well, tears in her eyes. Jürgen untangled himself from the five children and ran to her, pulling her close and kissing her adoringly.

"Oh my god, that's why he ran during the suitor games!" Franz said in disbelief. "He wasn't single. He was married! With _kids_! That we've never _heard_ of!"

"Thank you captain obvious!" Calcas snapped. The others were silent, looking on in disbelief.

Jürgen, hearing them, drew reluctantly away from his wife, grimacing. "Meilic, who are they?" the woman questioned, looking at the twelve other young men in wonder. They looked so much like her husband! But they couldn't be brothers, could they? He'd mentioned nothing about even _having_ any. She was getting an uneasy feeling.

"I'm… It's a long story," Jürgen answered with a sigh. And it wouldn't be easy to tell, because truth be told? At this point most everything she knew about him wasn't even a fraction of what she should have. He'd never lied to her, no, but… there was a lot of information he'd withheld. He looked to her again, then down at the five children who crowded around him, looking at the twelve others in awed wonder. "Darlings, these are your uncles," he said to them softly.

"They're _what_?!" the woman exclaimed.

"We're _what_?!" Iscawin blurted out. "What the heck?!"

Jürgen cringed. Oh boy. "Please don't leave me," he lamely pled to the woman.

"We'll see," she darkly answered, glaring accusingly at him with arms folded. Oh he was in hot water. He knew that look all too well. Jürgen turned back to his siblings.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Mael asked, hurt in his voice.

Jürgen was silent. Finally he answered, "Because until recently I never wanted them to know you existed." They started. Ouch. Understandable given their relationship to one another until lately, but still, ouch. "This is my oldest child. She's ten now. Her name is Lucile. You can imagine my shock when my first born ended up being a girl, given the family's tendency to have mostly boys. The second is my son David, eight years old. The third is my son Kenan, the forth his twin sister Madeline. They turned six last week. The fifth is my son Cameron. He's four now."

"W-when…? How long…? Wow…" Coth finally said, looking at the children. They were beautiful, he noted. As was the woman. He looked at her. "And she?"

"Is my wife. Her name is Abigail. It was… kind of a 'pirate and the lady' thing… It's complicated," Jürgen said, blushing. He turned to his wife. "Abigail, these are my brothers," he said to her. "They're…"

"He's the king," Abigail whispered, pale as she looked at Caleb.

Moren bowed to her. "And I'm assuming you never knew he was the second eldest prince of the Southern Isles," he greeted, looking at his brother unimpressed.

"She never asked," Jürgen answered, blushing deeply.

"Everything I know about you…" Abigail began in growing fear and unease.

"Is true!" Jürgen cut off sharply, giving her a stern look. "You just never asked the right questions. Like I said, it's a long story."

"But-but if you're… if you're a prince, then our children…" she began.

"Yes, they are potential heirs to the throne," Jürgen said with a sigh. Lucile, in particular.

"And your name?" Abigail began, shaken and holding her children close.

"Is Meilic," Jürgen replied firmly. "It's just… not my given one… It's the one I took when I ran and never intended to look back on my life as royalty. Why the hell I _kept_ going back I'll never know." He looked to his siblings. "Nor do I regret it now…" he added sincerely. They were deeply touched at his words, but anger and shock kind of overwhelmed it for now. At least, though, they weren't the ones who were the most confused about it all. Abigail was pale. Frightened. Angry… Frightened… Who could blame her, really? All this time married to a prince, and she'd never known it. As far as she knew, she'd wed the pirate king, they guessed. To learn he was so much more… Oh did Jürgen _ever_ have explaining to do to her. And to his little ones.

Frozen

They were seated around the table with Jürgen's children. They could hear their brother and the woman who was apparently his wife arguing from down here. "Oh he's in the doghouse," Justic said.

"What does that mean?" little Lucile asked

"It means daddy isn't getting any…" Franz began.

"Neb, they're kids, bro!" Connyn cut off.

"What? I was going to say daddy isn't getting any kisses tonight!" Franz defended immediately. "Mommy's going to have him sleeping on the couch. Probably for a good long time too."

"Mama and papa haven't fought like this before," the second oldest child, David, said, poking at his food and worriedly looking up.

"Sometimes grownups fight, David. It's alright. Mommy and daddy will start being quiet again eventually. There's just lots that daddy has to explain to mommy first," Lars gently said.

"And to us," Kenan pouted.

"Yeah! We didn't know daddy had brothers either," Melanie agreed.

"Why daddy keep it a secwet?" Cameron questioned.

"Because your daddy and his brothers didn't always get along, and I suppose… I suppose he just wanted to protect you so you wouldn't be upset that daddy and your uncles didn't play nicely together," Moren answered. Which was the most basic explanation that could possibly be given, because the full one would be way over the heads of the children. Most seemed to accept it at face value, though, which was good, though Lucile seemed not entirely satisfied. Not surprising given she was the oldest, but she wasn't curious enough to press either.

ES

The yelling had stopped by now and there was silence. Which meant either there was crying or making up happening. Jürgen could be quite a charmer when he wanted to be, so Neb wouldn't be surprised if against all odds he'd managed to quiet his wife with a kiss or seduce her into his bed _after_ all. Soon enough Jürgen and Abigail were coming down the stairs and entering the dining room. "Our apologies for being late, your Majesty," Abigail said, curtseying to Moren. "There were just… matters to discuss. There's a lot to take in." Jürgen looked annoyed, so apparently she was doing the exact opposite of whatever it was he'd wanted her to do. It seemed she was playing up the part of peasant woman in service to a king. Maybe she planned on acting like she was nothing more than a concubine or slave girl just to get under Jürgen's skin. Goodness knew she probably felt like one now, knowing what her husband truly was.

"Let's just sit down to eat," he grumbled, taking his place. She sat at his feet. "Oh for the love of… Abigail, please!" he pled, blushing.

"My Lord?" she asked. Jürgen scowled at her passive aggression but said nothing, agitatedly drumming his fingers.

"He gets it, you're displeased. Drop it. You aren't driving anything into that thick skull of his or making any sort of statement. Meilic is oblivious to statements. Especially when he wants to be," Hans said. Abigail glared up at Jürgen then sighed, rising and bringing a chair over to sit next to him again and not make this into more of a spectacle than it already was.

"Jürgen's not getting any tonight," Franz sang.

"I'd advise you shut the…" Jürgen began before recalling his children were present. "Watch what you're implying, Neb," he warned in a calmer voice. "We hardly need you pointing out the obvious."

"He's getting nothing for a very long time," Abigail said with a huff before apologetically looking at the princes. "I'm sorry for my behavior, your majesties, it's just… as you can well imagine, this is a shock unlike any other I've ever experienced. One moment I'm waiting for my corsair husband to return, the next I'm learning he's not only a king of pirates, but the second heir of the Southern Isles. And has suddenly showed up with the rest of his royal family without giving me any warning whatsoever so I could at least _try_ to make our humble home into something a bit more fitting for royalty. Then I'm informed his name isn't Meilic at all, but Jürgen, and I can't even express my anger toward him by claiming everything I know about him is a lie, because everything he's ever said was _true_. He just never went into his backstory. He told me he'd left his past behind and never wanted to look back. He told me that the ones he had turned his back on were dead to him and had been for a very long time. He told me there was no hope of it ever changing and that as far as he was concerned, his life had started the day he met me, though captured would be the more truthful term to use."

"Um, ouch," Coth said, frowning at Jürgen.

"Not like you didn't feel the same. All of you," Jürgen defended. "Besides, despite my words I _did_ end up coming back now, didn't I? Over and over."

"Why did you?" Hans questioned.

Jürgen was quiet. "Because blood and water," he finally answered without looking at them. The answer, actually, was much more complicated than that, but he didn't need to explain it to them. He couldn't if he tired anyway because _he_ didn't even fully get it. Besides, they all knew and understood that just as well as he did.

Frozen

Evening came and found Jürgen gently tucking his children into bed with Abigail close at hand, watching from the doorway. She had insisted that the children be put in the same room so at least the princes would have actual beds to sleep in. Meilic had told her they would more than happily tough it out, but the look she gave him warned him off. Oh she _definitely_ wasn't okay with this. Their house wasn't near large enough for the thirteen princes plus her and her children. She had insisted on sleeping on the floor. Jürgen and Caleb both had put their feet down. She would sleep with her husband as per usual. The younger princes could tough it out on the ground.

Softly Jürgen kissed their little ones then returned to her looking sheepish. "I wouldn't have sprung this on you if I'd had a choice," he said almost pleadingly. "It was make for here or drown."

"So what do I call you now then, your majesty?" she asked, tone unimpressed as she ignored his plea.

"Abigail, that isn't fair. Look, I'm still the pirate king Meilic. I'm still the father of your children, I'm still your husband, and I'm still every bit in love with you as I've ever been. You mean the world to me. You know that. Can you just _try_ to understand things from my point of view? Please?"

She sighed, tucking a loose strand of hair into her bun. "I'm sorry. I'm trying, but you have to see things through _my_ eyes too. Suddenly a whole new world of yours has opened up, and the secrets? It's too much! If you had this whole second life hidden from me, how can I know you don't have a third? A fourth?"

"They are my only world other than you," he promised, taking her arms. "They're not even a world I _wanted_ , just one I was stuck with. Until recently I could have cared less if they'd all died of plague or something. For goodness sake, at times I was planning on fratricide _myself_. I still don't know what changed, just that it did."

She sighed in frustration, holding her arms around herself. "Alright," she relented. "Oh dear, I should draw a bath for you and them. Multiple ones, I suppose."

"They'll already be two steps ahead of you. They can fend for themselves, you know," he replied. "You see? They've found the stream. I hear them."

She listened carefully and sure enough heard splashing. She sighed in relief. For that she was glad. Less work for _her_. "I will draw one for you alone, then," she said, looking up at him. "After I wash the dishes."

She pushed open the kitchen door and gasped. The dishes were already done! She gaped in disbelief. Jürgen smiled. "We may be princes, my love, but that doesn't mean we need to be useless. Mother and father were both sure of that. Before you ask, they can mend their own clothes as well."

"What can they _not_ do, then?" she asked. Surely there was _some_ task she could take on that would make her feel like a better hostess than she had been thus far.

"Cook, unless it's Kelin-Sel or Hans. Kelin-Sel can cook. Hans can make a few things. None of them will wash clothes unless there are no servants or others there to do it for them. None of them like feeling dirty, but until necessary they'll only do the absolute minimum. Namely rinse them with maybe a little soap. Let's see… Oh yes, the _last_ thing you'll see us doing is scrubbing a floor unless forced to. As you can well imagine, generally the ones being forced to do such labor are the little ones. Often after being coerced for our own sick amusement," he said. "They also can't _make_ clothes. Fix, yes, not make. They won't draw baths either unless they're somewhere away from servants or fresh water."

She nodded. Huh, royals who actually _did_ something. More or less. A refreshing change. "I'll start with your bath," she said to him.

"Thank you, my love," he replied. Gently and gratefully he kissed her. He didn't dare ask her to join him, that might be pushing things a little too much, but he wouldn't object if she decided to anyway. With that, he went out to talk to his brothers about the arrangements.

Frozen

As he neared where they were bathing, they all turned and glared at him. He cringed. "Hi guys," he lamely said.

"You gonna tell us how you met the woman?" Duach asked.

"Was it spicy?" Franz questioned, eyes sparkling a little.

Jurgen glared at the 'party prince' and rolled his eyes. "I'll try to make a long story short and summarize as best I can. We sank a merchant ship somewhere off the coast. No survivors say for a small handful. My men brought them aboard and she was one of those survivors. I was unaware of the captives they'd dragged on deck until I heard a gunshot and a scream that definitely didn't belong to a man. I ran up and saw that they'd just shot one of the captives dead. They'd seized Abigail with less than honorable intent and he'd tried to be a hero. It didn't end well for him, and her? Well, my pirates were currently in the process of stripping her of all her clothing. By the time I finally got over the surprise enough to react, she was down to an underdress. I ordered them to stop and lock up the hostages but to deliver the girl to me. To the captain goes the spoils, I told them. No one dared defy me. I kept her in my cabin safe from the animals. Plenty of interaction and give and take regarding the hostages later, we were on surprisingly solid terms. When we were attacked by an enemy force of pirates, Xe's, I was nearly killed. She saved my life and I told I would grant her a boon as payment. She told me that in exchange for her rescuing me, I would bring her and the captives home. So I did."

"Lame," Franz coughed into his hand.

"Okay, so how did it get to a proposal and marriage?" Iscawin asked.

"Because home happened to be the island I had lordship over, both as a prince and as the pirate king," Jürgen answered. "And when Xe's band of wannabes started menacing the shoreline and threatening the inhabitants into providing them supplies in exchange for not being attacked, she slipped away and set sail on the ocean searching for said pirate king. She found me soon enough. She knew where I often moored. It had slipped during our time together on the seas, and when she found me she begged my help. She offered to give me anything I wanted, up to and including her body. I told her I wanted no part of her she wasn't giving with her whole heart, refused her plea, and told her she could stay the night but that she was to sail back home on the morrow. When she woke up, we were gone. When she got back home, _Xe_ was. She came back to see me. To thank me, she claimed. I didn't buy it and inquired as to why she was suddenly so fascinated by me. She made a crack about the King and Princes of the Southern Isles and how useless and uncaring they seemed and I proposed to her on the spot. After semi-defending 'Jürgen' by telling her we were only allowed to operate by his say-so."

"You bastard," Duach deadpanned glaring icily at him.

"Needless to say that proposal didn't take," Jürgen continued, smirking and ignoring his sibling. "When I asked her again the next day, though, she told me she would agree if I could prove to her I loved her. So I played martyr. I talked Caleb into sending out a decree stating that if Meilic was caught on my shores, he was to be arrested and executed. When I went to her that evening, she was stunned and told me to flee. I told her I would, but that I intended to keep coming back no matter the risk to myself. If it meant I could be with her for even a short while, I would die content."

"You clever son of a gun," Franz remarked, impressed. The ladies did seem to like it when a man was willing to risk death itself to be with them. Of course the men seemed to like that too, actually, when a woman was willing to do the same. _He'd_ marry someone like that on the spot... And nearly had once upon a time... Hey, having someone who cared so much for you they were willing to risk life itself for the sole purpose of being with you, it was no small commitment. You knew for a fact, then, that they weren't in it for the lust or money. Usually. Unless they orchestrated it like Jürgen had, but Jürgen hadn't done it with malicious intent, so yeah, that didn't count.

"I am, aren't I?" Jürgen said, smirking. "The woman fell into my arms, I proposed again, she said she would agree as long as I promised I wouldn't leave her a widow for a few years at least, I told her I'd try, and here we are."

"I'm torn between asking if you have no shame and complimenting you," Hans deadpanned. On the one hand that was ridiculously manipulative, but on the other it had been done with honorable intensions and Abigail didn't seem to mind it even now that she knew the truth about them, so eh. He'd stay out of this one and not overthink it. His brother was happy in his marriage, she seemed happy with him, and it appeared they had a nice life for themselves.

"Congratulations on your good fortune, little brother. May you be better fated than I was," Moren said to Jürgen. Jürgen cringed, recalling all too well the situation with Moren and his family. It was… a painful sort of story, though the King had suffered no loss he knew of, per se. Not in the sense of death, at least. Again, as far as he knew. Moren was tight lipped about what happened to them after they were gone. Honestly, none of them really talked about it.

"Thank you," he sincerely said. "May you soon find your fortune again, Caleb."

Caleb nodded. "Now I think your wife is beckoning you," he said. Jürgen turned then smiled at her. He left, then, to embrace her. Caleb didn't watch. The others stayed silent.


	3. Surprise Attack

Surprise Attack

It was midnight when it happened. All hell broke loose. Suddenly gunshots and horses were heard, and screaming people. The princes jerked awake and instantly scrambled to get dressed. Abigail gasped, waking up swiftly. Her husband was already part way clothed. He had always been a very light sleeper. "Meilic?" she asked fearfully.

He turned to her, silently summing her up, then kissed her lips quickly and firmly. "Get the children ready to run, if need arises. "I'll be back soon."

"Don't go," she pled.

"Don't be afraid for me," he answered. He rose, threw on a shirt, and raced out to join his siblings.

"We need to end this quickly," Moren said as Jürgen joined them.

"You shouldn't be going anywhere!" Iscawin protested. "You're walking with a cane, dammit Caleb!"

"I can still fight well enough to hold off some common brigands," Moren replied.

"As long as you stay to the back," Lars seriously warned.

"Agreed," Caleb answered, hurrying with the others out.

Hans was about to follow when Jürgen turned. "Not you! You stay here. Protect my family as if they were your own! Which they are, might I add," the second eldest commanded.

Hans froze, stiffening, and paled on hearing his brother's order. "What?!" he demanded.

 _"_ _Protect them as if they were your own wife and children."_

Those had been Mael's very words that fateful day his brother had lost them all forever because he had failed! "You heard me," Meilic said.

"Jürgen, I can't!" Hans exclaimed, near panic. "Please, I can't do this! Don't make me do this!"

 _I don't want to lose you all again. Oh god, I'm going to fail. Just like I failed Lars!_

"Hans, you have to!" Jürgen shot.

"I can't!" Hans insisted.

"Dammit, Hans, just do it!" Jürgen shouted. Before his baby brother could argue further, Meilic was running after the others, leaving Hans gawking in shock and worry. Why the hell did his brother put this on _him_ , dammit? He swallowed and turned to see his sister-in-law and her children looking afraid and confused. Oh fu… damn him. "Your highness?" Abigail uncertainty asked.

Hans blinked at her then looked out the window. He shuddered as he saw raiders pulling people from their homes. He had to act fast and now. "Put out all the candles, draw all the drapes, and lock all the doors. Stay away from windows and entryways. Go. Now." Quickly Abigail and her children, and him too for that matter, hurried to follow through on the command. "Abigail, do you know if there's a hideaway in this house?"

"If-if there is my husband never told me," she replied

"Do you know any history?" he asked.

"No. Wait… yes, yes! It-it belonged to a pirate captain once. It was said he'd long retired from the seas, but Meilic didn't believe it. He mentioned that even if he _had_ gone off the ocean, he wouldn't have left that life totally behind and most likely would have turned to smuggling. I tried to convince him to leave the man be, but he didn't. Meilic attacked and murdered him then disappeared. I assumed to intimidate the old captain's connections. When he returned, he told me this was going to be our new home. Our current house was getting too small for our growing family," Abigail replied.

"If it belonged to a pirate in contact with smugglers, there's more than just a hideaway. There may be an escape tunnel for in case things went wrong," he said. It was a matter of _finding_ said escape tunnel. "Get your children together. Keep them close and be ready to fight for them. If you can run, run, but if not, fight."

"Prince Hans…" Abigail began.

"What, Jürgen never taught you to handle a blade or gun?" he asked, forcing a smile that hopefully would put her at ease.

"He did! But I've never had to…" she began before trailing off. She couldn't say it. She didn't want to say the words 'kill a man'.

"For your children you will," he replied. She looked at her little ones and her heart dropped to think something horrible would befall them.

"Come here, children!" she called. Quickly they all scrambled to her. She gathered them close then moved them to a large closet, crawling inside with all of them. She pulled the door shut and held her breath, keeping them silent as well.

She heard the youngest prince's footsteps getting farther away. For a moment she was terrified he'd abandoned them. They heard men trying to break in, wood giving way. Then there was the sound of rifle fire and the noise stopped. The footsteps returned. She dared believe they were Hans's. She heard him shuffling around and moving various furniture pieces, as well as knocking on walls. Every so often she could hear a rifle crack as he paused to deal with a threat. She heard the wood stove creak and then silence. Suddenly the prince was charging across the room to the closet. Her heart swelled in hope. He'd found it! He'd found the hideaway. The prince threw open the doors. "Move, now! Quickly. A mob of them is headed this way! They've pillaged every other house they could manage to, with my brothers protecting this godforsaken backwater slew!"

"Excuse me? This is my village and Meilic's you're talking about!" Abigail agitatedly defended as she ushered her little ones out.

"Jürgen was always drawn to slums," Hans deadpanned. "Farthest thing from royalty you could get." She seethed but didn't comment further. Quickly he led them to the fire place. They gasped on seeing the uncovered hideaway. Just then the doors were pounded on again. "Hurry, get down inside little ones. That door won't hold long," he urged the children, sending them down one by one.

"Uncle, will they catch us?" Lucile fearfully asked, eyes wide.

"No, sweetie, no. Over my dead body," he assured, pushing her down into the hole. He wasn't about to lose them like he'd lost Aaron. A stab of pain shot through him, but he willed it back. He had to focus.

"How long do we have before they're inside?" Abigail fearfully asked. Just then they heard the door crash open and she gave a scream.

"Mama!" Kenan cried out.

"Go!" Hans shot, quickly shoving the child down again, closing up the hideaway, and covering it with the stove. He turned to Abigail. "We have enough time to make the children safe," he deadpanned to her in answer to the question that had already been answered by the break in. Quickly taking her hand, he pulled her closer to a different room. "Now if they suspect a secret hideout, they'll think it's in here," he explained. "Take this." He shoved a pistol into her hand and prepared to face the attackers. They could hear them nearing. "I'm sorry," he suddenly said.

"Sorry?" she asked, confused.

"Premature apology. Just in case I fail _this_ sister-in-law and her children too…" Hans said.

"What?" she asked quickly, looking at him with wide eyes.

Hans shook his head, closing his eyes, then turned to her. "The last time a brother asked me to make sure his wife and children survived… Long story short, they didn't. They suffered horribly too. So if I fail you and yours now as well, I'm sorry," he said.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, covering her face. This couldn't be happening. If Hans had been unable to save another, what guarantee was there that he wouldn't fail her? But then again, surely Meilic wouldn't have tasked him with this duty if he'd for one second doubted his brother, right? She would trust her husband's judgement, she decided. It wasn't as if she had a choice at this point anyway. "It's fine. Just focus on keeping us alive and it will be fine," she said. Hans was quiet.

Frozen

Not even two seconds later the group of bandits swarmed into the room. Quickly Hans moved in front of his sister-in-law, scowling darkly at them. "Take what you want and leave us alone!" he shot.

The brigands summed the prince up, then the woman behind him. Dark smiles parted their lips and murmuring began. "That your wife, boy?" one asked.

"I said take what you want and get out!" Hands sharply replied, avoiding the question.

"Hand her over," another ordered.

"Get out!" Hans viciously ordered.

"Kill hi…" one began. He was dead before the order was finished. Hans gawked and looked back. That hadn't been him. His eyes widened. Whoa, was his brother's wife wielding a _musket_? That was some major kickback for anyone! Damn, she _was_. Where had she even gotten it? And that look in her eyes... he'd chalk it up to mother bear instinct. He grinned then turned to the stunned raiders. Maybe they'd have a chance after all. Before the attackers could collect themselves, Hans began shooting them down with his rifle while Abigail continued with the slower musket.

Quickly the raiders began to attack with enraged yells. Swiftly Hans and Abigail dodged behind cover. Whistles were blown and whatever hopes of victory Hans had had were gone. They were signalling backup! He cursed under his breath. "We need to surrender," he said to Abigail from behind cover.

"What?" she hissed. "We've only just started fighting!" She hadn't thought the Princes of the Southern Isles gave up so easily. They were related to Meilic, for crying out loud!

"If you want to survive another day, we need to surrender!" Hans shot. He could tell she was less than impressed with him, but she didn't know he had a purpose and a plan. From a position of surrender, the raiders off their guard, he could form a plan that would actually work to get them out of this alive. Hopefully.

"If we surrender I might end up not _wanting_ to live another day!" she fearfully protested.

"We need more of an advantage, Abigail! _You_ do," Hans replied. "Outside you have way more space, you're away from the children's hiding spot, and it's more likely my brothers will be able to come to your aid or that you'll be able to run," he said, shooting down another enemy who was daring to try and blitz them.

"Why do you keep saying 'you' as in only me?!" she demanded.

"Because _you_ mean happy fun times and _I_ mean problems!" Hans shot.

She blushed brightly at the brazen reply then gave him a dagger glare. "For all we know _you_ might mean happy fun times to some of them too!" she retorted.

"Then start praying that's the case, or that they figure I'll make a good forced laborer, because at least then you won't be fending them off alone! _My_ other alternative is death. Now will you focus on shooting, please? Or are you looking to end up their toy?"

"Prince Hans! I may be a pirate's wife, but I'm no less a lady for it! You will _not_ talk about such things in my presence so brashly!" she shot.

"I'm starting to get why Franz refuses to fight alongside women in battle," Hans retorted. With exception to Elsa and Anna, but that went without saying.

"Oh shove it up your…" she began before cutting herself off on catching his goading, typically kid brother, smirk. "Well played," she begrudgingly relented. At least his banter was keeping her calm. Goodness knew it wasn't doing _him_ the same good… He was afraid… Almost panicked, in fact.

"We need to surrender," he said again. She bit her lower lip, peering out from their cover, and saw immediately how right he was. If they wanted to survive, they gave up. She looked ruefully at the musket she held, and the pistol Hans had given her, then slid them both out from behind cover. Hans copied her action, though she got the distinct impression he still had _something_ concealed somewhere. If he was anything like his brother, at least, he certainly did. The next thing they knew, they were surrounded and being dragged into the midst of the group of attackers.

Frozen

Soon enough they found themselves held tightly. They weren't bound, as of yet, but they'd been forced to their knees and were being kept there, watching helplessly from outside as the house was plundered. Abigail thanked her lucky stars there was nothing of much value in it. If nothing else, Meilic had a good head for protecting assets. The men plundering the house soon finished and stormed towards them. "Anything you're hiding from us in there?" one of them asked.

"Nothing," Abigail replied. Hans closed his eyes, inwardly cursing her. She'd answered too fast. Much too fast.

The men glared at her then smirked. "Don't lie to us, my lady. It won't go well for you," the man who had spoken threatened, kneeling in front of her and tilting her chin.

"Th-there's nothing," she replied, pale.

"Isn't there?" the man questioned.

"No," she said.

"Well then you won't mind this order too much," the man said, rising. He turned to his group. "Burn it to the ground! Circle it and if anyone dares to try and escape, shoot them dead!"

"No!" she screamed immediately. Hans began to struggle, pale. By struggle he meant test how firmly he was held. Not firmly enough, he immediately knew. Good. "No, please, you can't do this! No!" his sister-in-law continued to beg as the men began setting the grass, plants, trees, and home itself on fire to burn. It began to crackle and blaze quickly. "No! Stop! Stop, I'm begging you! I'll do anything you ask, anything, just put the fires out! I beg you!"

"Too little too late," the bandit said, turning and giving her a cruel smile. "You'll give us whatever we want regardless anyway."

"Lucile, David, Kenan, Madeline, Cameron!" Abigail cried out frantically. "Meilic! Meilic, where are you! Oh god, don't do this!" she pled, desperately writhing and fighting to break free. In fact two more men had to pounce on her and hold her down to keep her from escape, but that suited Hans just fine because it meant their attention was off of _him_. All at once he gave a powerful jerk and broke from the grasps of the ones holding him. They fell back, stunned, and before any of them could fully comprehend what had happened, the prince was already half way across the yard to the house. Bullets began echoing after him, but he darted inside and closed the door behind him. Abigail broke down sobbing and praying that even if she suffered or died, her children would be saved.

Frozen

Already the place was lit up in flames, smoke heavy in the air and fire ripping its way throughout the house. Briefly he regretted leaving Abigail with those men. Gods knew what atrocities they would do to her. He knew also, though, that she would have chosen to suffer all of it and more if it meant her children lived. He couldn't save her and his five nieces and nephews all. He could hope, however, that his brothers returned in time to get Abigail. He got low to the ground and quickly made his way to the fireplace. The living room was an inferno, flames licking at the stove. He damned the wooden floors. He could hear the children screaming in fear from here. Desperately he shoved the stove away from the tunnel opening, threw the trap door open, and crawled quickly down inside the hiding place that apparently had once doubled as a cellar, he saw. And probably still acted as Jürgen's personal getaway, that sneaky, industrious bastard.

He looked around swiftly and spotted them all huddled together in a terrified little ball. "Uncle!" David exclaimed with a sob. Hans swiftly went to them.

"Where's mommy?!" Madeline demanded.

"Right now we need to focus on you," Hans replied, avoiding the question. "Did you find the tunnel exit?" he asked, unease growing. If there was no exit, he'd doomed them all to burn alive down here!

"No. No, we can't find it. I've searched, Uncle Hans, I've searched so hard!" Lucile, crying, answered.

Hans inwardly cursed, looking around. Quickly he raced to a wine rack and shoved it out of the way, searching the walls behind it. There was an escape. There had to be! "Come on, where are you?" he murmured to himself, quickly setting about to moving everything he possibly could in an effort to find their salvation. He heard Cameron scream and whirled quickly. The children were just scrambling out of the way of a collapsing section of floor! Now there were even more terrified shrieks coming from the little ones as spilled alcohol lit up like a shot and began licking at the wood and various other flammables down here.

"Unca!" Cameron cried out, turning to him.

"Come here, all of you!" Hans shouted. Again he found himself recalling the old warnings he'd heard about never racing back into a burning building to get anything you'd left behind. Children were the exception, as far as he was concerned. They hurried over to him and Hans continued tossing aside barrels. It was clear very quickly there was no exit that way. He inwardly cursed again. He looked towards the wall he had yet to check. Fire was close to it. Too close for him to risk bringing the little ones there. "Stay here and stay low!" he ordered them. They didn't have much choice but to obey. He for his part ran to the wall and began moving things aside. It wasn't long before he froze. There it was. A hollow sound! His eyes filled with hope. Quickly he double-timed his efforts and in minutes had cleared a good sized part of the wall. Immediately he gave a holler of victory, spotting a notch to open it up with. Grabbing it, he pried it open. He looked back at the nearing flames. There wasn't much time.

Quickly Hans raced back to the children, grabbing up as many of them as he could in his arms and racing towards the wall. He all but threw them towards it none too gently. Not literally threw, but pretty close. He was sure they and their parents would forgive him for a few bruises and-or scratches and burns as long as the little ones were alive at the end of the day. "We're going to live!" David cheered from where he was, back with Cameron. Hans didn't reply. He'd never been one to count his chickens before they hatched.

"Get into the tunnel!" he ordered the twins and Lucile, all of whom he'd managed to position over there. He raced back to David and Cameron, grabbing David's hand and picking the toddler up. Just then he heard a loud crack and gasped, looking up. His eyes widened. The floor was giving out! He shoved Cameron into David's arms. Them he _did_ literally throw towards the tunnel. Or as close to throwing an eight-year-old carrying a four-year-old as you could get. The boy cried out in pain as he hit the ground. Before he could even stand, his siblings were pulling him and Cameron into the tunnel. All at once the floor collapsed, inviting the full fury of the inferno into the basement and blocking off the tunnel.

"Uncle Hans!" Kenan cried out.

"Shut the tunnel door and crawl as fast as you can to wherever it leads! As soon as you're out find your father and mother, understand?!" Hans shouted, leaping back from the flames and covering his face. It seemed he was either going to end up cooked alive or escaping some other way.

"What about you?!" Lucile called.

"Just go!" Hans shouted. "Now! Before that tunnel turns into a chimney for the flames and smoke!"

Lucile paled. She didn't need to hear more. Immediately she shut the tunnel door. Mama and papa had told her about what happened to smoke and fire when it was in an enclosed space. "Hurry, we need to go!" she ordered her siblings.

"What about uncle?" Madeline asked.

"I don't know," Lucile admitted. "But right now you need to trust me. Come on, hurry." Quickly she ushered her little siblings down the tunnel towards safety and hoped Uncle Hans would be alright.

Frozen

Abigail expected many horrible things to happen to her at the hands of these men. She wasn't thinking about a single one of them now, though, her thoughts consumed by her children and their uncertain fates. Whatever anguish or humiliation fell upon her at this point was secondary to the pain she was feeling now even _believing_ that her little ones might not make it. She had no doubts these men would have their way with her. She was on the ground and at their mercy. They had already stripped her of all her fine clothes. Goodness knew they'd fetch a fair price. Her husband spoiled her. All that was left for them to do was remove what was beneath all the petticoats. When she felt hands exploring her she knew they would wait no longer… Then the bullets sounded and the echoes of horse hooves thundered.

Panic ensued as the bandits scrambled to fight back against whatever was attacking them. When she heard a certain sword being drawn from its sheath, she knew they had lost. Sure enough, a bloody swath was carved through them with extreme prejudice, and at the head of it she could see her husband, eyes flaming murderously, his brothers as well as a good number of his pirates and his siblings' men at his back. The raiders stood no chance. She scrambled to her feet and seized a nearby pistol. She turned to help, but she saw immediately she didn't have to. They were already finished. She dropped the gun as Meilic ran to her and enveloped her in his arms protectively. She began to sob, clinging to him.

"Where are the children?!" Meilic demanded, pulling back.

"They're inside!" she exclaimed in terror. "We hid them in a hideaway. We thought they'd be safe! Oh god, our babies. Our babies are in there!"

Jürgen paled and spun around, eyes wide in horror. "No… no, no, no, no, no!" he exclaimed, preparing to bolt recklessly into the collapsing house, though at this point he knew that the only thing that would be left were charred remains. You could feel the immense heat from here. "Lucile, David, Kenan, Madeline, Cameron!" he shouted. He prepared to spring, but just then…

"Daddy!" a voice cried out. Jürgen gasped, spinning around. Emerging from the root cellar, which was located far from the house, came his children! Abigail gave a cry of relief, racing to them and gathering them into her arms. Jürgen was quick to follow.

"Darling! Oh my darlings, I was so afraid you were dead," Abigail said, weeping over them.

Meilic held them near then suddenly stiffened. A foreboding sense of dread washed over him. Something was missing… One, two, three, four, five, they were all here. Wait… All at once he rose to his feet, pale. "Where's Hans?" he asked.

"Hans? Oh no. Hans! He's in the house!" Abigail exclaimed.

"He found us and helped us find the tunnel but then we got in and the floor collapsed and the tunnel got blocked! He couldn't reach us. He told us to shut the door and get to safety, but he didn't come, daddy, he didn't!" Kenan wept. "The fire was everywhere!"

Jürgen stepped back, white as a ghost. Abigail quickly looked to him, eyes wide in fear. "Oh no… No, no… Dammit, Hans!" he shouted, spinning around and racing towards his brothers, who now looked alarmed. "He's in the building!" Jürgen called to them. "Hans is in the building!" He knew in his gut, though, that they could never reach him. The heat was intense. He expected _someone_ would try, though. Sure enough, Mael, Iscawin, and Kelin-Sel charged towards the house only to be forced to stop in their tracks as the heat overwhelmed them, driving them backwards.

"Hans! Hans!" Lars shouted towards the house. He thought about using his magic to put it out. He knew it would be useless to. The house was nothing but a skeleton now, and anyone who had been inside… If the heat was this strong so far back, whoever had been in there was long dead. He felt his heart drop into his stomach. He looked over as Jürgen came up next to him, staring at the home.

"I didn't… I didn't expect this to happen. I didn't expect him to die! Hans! Hans, answer me! Hans!" the pirate king suddenly freaked, holding his head in his hands. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't happening! Lars turned back to the building. He felt tears pricking his eyes and looked away, closing them tightly.

The others stared quietly. Rhun removed his glasses and began to clean them. A nervous habit. Suddenly he stopped and felt his knees buckle. Fortunately Duach was near and caught him as he started to fall. Memories of their time captive in Cumberland came back. Of all the times he had feared… "He'll make it. He has to," he numbly said with a gasp. He had made it _there_!

"Papa, where is Uncle?" David fearfully asked his father, coming up alongside him.

Jürgen took his son's hand tightly and pulled him into a side hug, holding him near. "I pray he is somewhere where they will see his worth and never take it for granted again," he answered in all but a whisper. Gods knew _they_ hadn't…

"Oh god!" Justic exclaimed suddenly. "There!" Quickly the others raced to where Justic was and looked. Their eyes widened and their lips parted in horror. Walking out of the flames, seemingly near unscathed, was Hans!

"Impossible…" Franz said in disbelief, pale. Yet there it was. Beyond any doubt, that was Hans!

Frozen

He hadn't expected to come out of the inferno alive. Not when the floors gave way. He'd never been one to roll over and die, though, albeit more than once in the past he'd considered it. He didn't want to question how he'd made it out alive. He'd somehow gotten to the main floor after what seemed forever. He'd dove into the bath water that Abigail had drawn for Jürgen earlier and hadn't gotten around to emptying yet. There he'd stayed until the water was getting hot. He'd leapt out and raced to find some way out. He hadn't even expected the wetness to keep him alive, or anything for that matter. He'd been racing directly through flame walls so heated that they tinged on blue and white colors, for pete's sake! But it hadn't taken him… Maybe it just couldn't...

He looked up as he stepped outside. On seeing his brothers, he paused. He expected them to run to him. They tried, but something always stopped them. Hans frowned. Was the heat really that great? He knew it was immense, yes, but so much so that they couldn't get closer than _that_? Maybe his skin was boiling off and he just didn't notice it. Wow, that was a morbid thought. He approached them once more. Maybe he was dying, he thought to himself. Maybe he was on fire and completely oblivious to it. Maybe he should run back into the house to spare them the horror of watching him burn to death while walking towards them. He looked at his hand. Funny, he didn't feel the flames that were consuming his gloves. He couldn't smell burning flesh either. No burns, no anything, which was beyond weird but he wouldn't question it. Maybe irreversible nerve damage? It didn't matter, he supposed. The heat never bothered him anyway. He inwardly smirked to himself at his inner parody of Elsa's favorite little saying.

As he approached his siblings, he looked up at them. They were gawking in shocked disbelief. The flames dancing about his clothes faded away as if smothered by sand. "The heavens watch over you, brother," Calcas finally managed to find his voice enough to say, tears threatening his eyes.

Hans looked at his hand, turning it almost absently. "Can one still be protected by the heavens when they have walked through the fires of hell?" he asked after a moment. He had walked through said fires not only once, but time and time again. Figuratively and now nearly literally, it seemed, as well. The dark and self-loathing thought was immediately tackled out of him by all of Jürgen's children pouncing on him and knocking him to the ground with a cry. That was followed up by his siblings retreating from the blazing inferno to somewhere safe and dragging him with them. Hans would go out on a limb and say not one raider got away alive. He looked at Mael, who was silent. "I'm sorry I couldn't save yours," he said to him.

Lars missed a step, tensing, then looked at him. "It's said and done," he answered. "Let the past stay there… For now I'm just so glad you're alive…" And curious as to how… Suspiciously he looked at Hans but decided now wasn't the time to analyze it. They had other matters to attend to. Like salvaging what could be salvaged and searching for any survivors they hadn't been able to protect.


	4. The Ice Maiden

The Ice Maiden

(A/N: Possible - very likely? - kind of **trigger warning** at the very end of the chapter? Not sure it classifies, but just in case. Like last few paragraphs, or last paragraph. On another note, I think 'The Ice Maiden' would make a pretty good Disney movie. If, you know, they changed the end of the story. As in cut it out completely. Okay, so I went through like three or four different potential backstories for the Ice Maiden and none of them fit until finally I asked myself why the heck I was trying to figure one out for her when Hans Christian Andersen had already done the job _for_ me. All I really had to do was expand on his story. The guy really knew how to give his characters backstories that left room for expansion. At least the ones in the longer fairy tales. And it gave me a whole backstory for Kristoff too, given the main character in 'The Ice Maiden' is pretty well him with a different name. Almost sure Disney took inspiration from the fairy tale character for Kristoff. Hans gave the character a pseudonym instead of using Kristoff's real name, is my excuse for why its different. Anyway, the tale he tells Anna is basically the first chapter of 'The Ice Maiden' paraphrased. This chapter wasn't even originally part of anything, in fact I wrote it last night, but writing it helped me fill in a good few plot holes in this story. Enjoy.)

Kristoff parked his sleigh and climbed off of it. Sven began to dig through the snow to try and find grass to eat. The ice harvester reached up for Anna, lifting her down. She looked around. "So, you gonna tell me why we're up here?" Anna asked, walking a little ways away from him with a curious frown, hands on her hips. She didn't get why he'd brought her up to the glaciers. It had been a really long trip, and she couldn't quite get the purpose behind it. "I mean there's nothing up here," she added.

"True, but just trust me, okay? I have my reasons," he said, smiling at her. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes, though, and she frowned worriedly. He'd been very solemn this last week.

"What's wrong, Kristoff?" she asked worriedly.

He sighed. "I'll tell you soon, Anna," he replied, taking her hand in his and lightly squeezing it. She frowned in concern but nodded in agreement.

He brought her farther and farther up the glacier. It was freezing here. Anna shivered, huddling closer to him. He didn't speak, just pulled her near, wrapping his arm around her. But the way he held her wasn't just to warm her, she noted. It felt almost protective. Really protective. His grip was strong and firm. " _You're_ cautious today," she remarked.

"The glaciers are dangerous. Really dangerous. You can slip down a crevice or off an edge just like that," Kristoff replied. "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing's going to happen to me, Kristoff," she replied, smiling at him reassuringly.

"Yeah. I know. Because I won't let it," Kristoff deadpanned. Anna blinked then smirked in amusement.

"Not what I meant, mountain man," she teased.

"I know," he answered. She frowned again, increasingly concerned about him. He seemed so distant. He wasn't even bantering. She didn't like the implications of that.

Frozen

A few hours later they were standing by a deep crevasse. She looked down it in wonder. It was in a very dangerous spot. Right by the path. She wondered how many travellers had fallen to their dooms into it. It was like a pathway leading to some glacial palace. "Wow…" she said.

"Yeah… I never told you much about my family, did I? I mean my birth family," Kristoff said. "My mom, my dad, my uncle and grandfather." Anna turned curiously to him but got the feeling she shouldn't press. He'd open up soon. Kristoff looked up. "I used to live nearby a little village around here with my grandfather. He was a carver… You know a lot of times he would give me a box of carved toys or knickknacks and send me down to town to sell them. I would go out and try to make an easy buck for us. I usually sold the most stuff, more than all the other kids. I never knew why until later when I realized my own adorableness."

"Oh really?" Anna said with a giggle.

"You betcha, Feisty Pants. I looked earnest and was pretty small back then. They though it was the cutest thing to see a little child looking so serious," he replied, smirking and flicking one of her bangs. She grinned at him. He smiled gently back, but his smile fell. "This was they didn't know _why_ he looked so solemn all the time." Anna's smile fell curiously. "Anyway, grandpa had a large room full of all sorts of his carvings. Nutcrackers, knives, forks, boxes, carved foliage, leaping chamois. The room had everything that could delight a kid, but I was more interested in the fire-arms. Grandpa promised me I would have them one day, but first I had to grow big and strong and learn how to use them. Until that time came, I was stuck selling the carved toys and herding his goats. I actually really liked that part, herding. A good goat-keeper needed to be a good climber. You know, I actually got to the point I could climb even higher than the goats. I liked looking for bird's nests at the top of high trees. I didn't smile much and didn't really play with other children or even see them often unless grandpa sent me down to sell his carvings. I preferred climbing mountains to being a trader. I liked to sit by grandpa and listen to his stories of old times or of the people of Meyringen, near where I was born."

"So you're Swedish," Anna said. "No surprise, honey. Most everyone in _Arendelle_ has Swedish blood and Norse."

"Yeah, I know. But you know what? Despite all grandpa's stories, I learned more from the animals that belonged to our house than I did from him. One of them was a large dog called Ajola. Ajola belonged to my birth father. The other was a tom-cat. I loved that cat. He taught me to climb. I guess it sounds kind of silly, and maybe I sound out of my mind, but I could actually understand it, you know," Kristoff said.

"You talked to animals?" Anna asked, perking up.

"Well, when I was a kid. I mean, I'm not so sure I 'talked' to them, per se, as I just… I don't know. Knew what they were trying to tell me."

 _"Come out on the roof with me," said the cat; and Rudy quite understood him, for the language of fowls, ducks, cats, and dogs, is as easily understood by a young child as his own native tongue. But it must be at the age when grandfather's stick becomes a neighing horse, with head, legs, and tail. Some children retain these ideas later than others, and they are considered backwards and childish for their age. People say so; but is it so?"_

"The cat always invited me to go on the roof with him," Kristoff said. "It toel me that what people said about falling down was nonsense and that I wouldn't fall unless I was afraid. One foot here, another there, feel your way with your fore-feet, keep your eyes wide open, move softly, if you come to a hole jump over it and cling fast," Kristoff narrated.

 _"Higher, higher!" cried the trees and the bushes. "See to what height we have grown, and how fast we hold, even to the narrow edges of the rocks."_

"I reached the top of the mountain before sunrise. It was so beautiful, Anna. The fresh mountain air, the smells of plants and herbs on the mountain side, the mint and thyme in the valleys…" he said.

 _The overhanging clouds absorb all heaviness from the air, and the winds convey them away over the pine-tree summits. The spirit of fragrance, light and fresh, remained behind, and this was Rudy's morning draught. The sunbeams—those blessing-bringing daughters of the sun—kissed his cheeks. Vertigo might be lurking on the watch, but he dared not approach him. The swallows, who had not less than seven nests in his grandfather's house, flew up to him and his goats, singing, "We and you, you and we." They brought him greeting from his grandfather's house, even from two hens, the only birds of the household; but Rudy was not intimate with them._

"It sounds wonderful," Anna said, listening quietly as they sat together on the edge of the crevice.

"It was. You'll see it soon too, I promise," Kristoff replied, smiling lovingly at her. "I was born in the canton of Valais and brought to my grandpa over the mountains. I actually came to these glaciers long ago, but… I'm jumping ahead. I'll start from the beginning. My father was a postilion, and the large dog I told you about used to follow him on his trips over the Simplon to the lake of Geneva. My relatives on dad's side lived in the canton of Valais in the valley of the Rhone. My uncle, his brother, was a chamois hunter and a well-known guide. I was only one year old when my dad died. Mom was anxious to return with me to her own family. They lived in the Bernese Oberland. By family I mean my grandpa. Her dad. Grandpa used to say that after my mom's death, all childish merriment was lost to me. Mom wrote in a letter that before I was a year old, I had laughed more than I cried, but after she died… Not so much. Anyway, dad was gone, and she was anxious to go back home so she could raise me in her hometown. It was June. She was carrying me in her arms and was travelling with two chamois hunters. We crossed the Gemmi on our way to Grindelwald. We'd already left more than half the journey behind us. We'd crossed high ridges and snow-fields, and I heard that they could even see her native valley from where they were. They had just one more glacier to climb… But some newly fallen snow concealed a cleft. _This_ cleft, actually. It didn't extend to the foaming waters in the depths beneath, but it was still much deeper than they'd thought. Mom… she slipped with me in her arms and fell and just… Not even a shriek or a groan was heard. Nothing but me crying. More than an hour passed before the two hunters could get ropes and poles and come back to help us. It took them a while, but they finally succeeded in getting us out of the crevasse. They thought we were both dead. They did everything they could to bring us back. They succeeded with me, but… but not with mom… Grandpa received me into his house an orphan, a little boy who had once laughed more than he cried. In his words, 'it seemed laughter left you in the cold ice-world where you fell. Where the Swiss peasants say the souls of the lost are confined until the judgement day'. I never understood that bit."

"Kristoff," Anna said, sadness and pity in her eyes. So that was why they were here. It was the anniversary of his birth mother's death. "I'm sorry," she said, hugging him and resting her head against his chest. She was glad he was sharing this with her. He held her closely to him and smiled sadly but gratefully. The feel of her in his arms… He loved every minute of it. His smile slowly fell.

"When I came to be with the trolls, Gran' Pabbie told me something that scared the daylights out of me. He told me that I wasn't supposed to have survived," he said.

"What?" Anna asked, worriedly pulling back and looking up at him. "What do you mean?"

"He told me I had been kissed by the Ice Maiden. I asked him who she was and what it meant to be kissed by her, but he didn't go into detail. He just said that I was stolen from her. When she kissed me I was supposed to have become hers, like my mother became hers. Frozen. I was supposed to die in the crevasse in her arms. He told me to be wary all my life, because she would send for me and try to find me. I was scared. Gran' Pabbie promised me that as long as they were there, nothing would ever hurt me. They wouldn't give me up to her. I tried to ask him what she was and why she was doing what she was doing, but you know. Faerie Folk and all that. He just kept saying he would protect me every time I tried to press him for information on her, and eventually? Eventually I just gave up asking. I just figured she was their personification of the cold and they'd just meant to tell me to look out that I didn't freeze to death. But then as time went by I started to ask myself why they'd told me they wouldn't give me up to her. I mean of course they weren't going to let me freeze, and I kind of tried to be content with that, except every time Gran' Pabbie or Bulda or Cliff talked about her, they seemed… I don't know. They seemed scared," Kristoff said.

"Kristoff, is she going to come back for you? Are we in danger here?" Anna immediately questioned, uneasily rising and looking into the crevasse.

"No. I've been here plenty of times alone. Nothing's happened yet," Kristoff replied. He didn't know _why_ it hadn't, but it hadn't. "It's been over twenty years. Maybe she just forgot about me. I mean, you've got to let it go sometime, right?" Anna smiled, but there was uncertainty in her expression. And worry. "Hey, don't be afraid. Nothing's going to happen to me. To us. To anyone. For all we know the Ice Maiden's long dead. It's okay," he assured, pulling her into his arms. "And we have a sunset to catch. Anna smiled up at him and pressed her lips against his, draping her arms around his neck. Tenderly he returned the kiss, gently swaying her side to side in his arms. Deep in the glacial crevasse the icy walls groaned and growled. Voices whispered as figures appeared, looking up, and then vanished once more…

Years Earlier

 _The glaciers appear as if a rushing stream had been frozen in its course, and pressed into blocks of green crystal, which, balanced one upon another, form a wondrous palace of crystal for the Ice Maiden, the queen of the glaciers. It is she whose mighty power can crush the traveller to death, and arrest the flowing river in its course. She is also a child of the air, and with the swiftness of the chamois she can reach the snow-covered mountain tops, where the boldest mountaineer has to cut footsteps in the ice to ascend. She will sail on a frail pine-twig over the raging torrents beneath, and spring lightly from one iceberg to another, with her long, snow-white hair flowing around her, and her dark-green robe glittering like the waters of the deep Swiss lakes._

She gazed into the image reflected in the ice, eyes cold. She saw the little child that had been saved from the fate she had put to him. He was climbing a mountain, following the cat that was teaching him how to go about it and learning from it with an excited grin. She inwardly raged.

 _"Mine is the power to seize and crush," she cried. "Once a beautiful boy was stolen from me by man, a boy whom I had kissed, but had not kissed to death. He is again among mankind, and tends the goats on the mountains. He is always climbing higher and higher, far away from all others, but not from me. He is mine; I will send for him." And she gave Vertigo the commission._

This she said as she paced around the image, another figure in darkness watching stoically. A male. "Will you now?" he questioned in a deadpan.

"Oh Vertigo, I have a favor to ask you," the Ice Maiden sang out.

"Oh?" Vertigo answered. "And just what favor is that?"

"Well, it's…" she began.

"And what's my payment?" Vertigo cut off bluntly. She started and frowned at him, unimpressed. Soon, though, she smirked.

"What do you desire?" she questioned, approaching him seductively and draping her arms around his neck.

He looked her appreciatively over and chuckled. "My lady, this time that won't work," he said.

"Oh come now, Vertigo," she said with a pout. A smile parted her lips again. "You want me desperately."

"I'm quite sure you're the one who wants _me_ ," Vertigo answered, leaning towards her so his lips were only centimeters from her skin.

She smirked to herself. "I do at that," she admitted.

"Hmm, as I figured it. Which means I can press you for further reward, because you and I both know we're only going to end up in bed together regardless," he answered.

"Very well. Complete the task and I'll pay you whatever price you ask," she said. "If you fail, you can forget it. You have until summer."

He considered this. "Very well," he agreed.

"Bring your brothers with you, the strongest of them," she said. "Let them have a bit of fun too."

"Oh I intend to. Wish us luck," he added as he faded away.

"All the luck in the world," she said with a cold smirk, staring at the ground and admiring her reflection.

Frozen

 _It was summer, and the Ice Maiden was melting amidst the green verdure, when Vertigo swung himself up and down. Vertigo has many brothers, quite a troop of them, and the Ice Maiden chose the strongest among them. They exercise their power in different ways, and everywhere. Some sit on the banisters of steep stairs, others on the outer rails of lofty towers, or spring like squirrels along the ridges of the mountains. Others tread the air as a swimmer treads the water, and lure their victims here and there till they fall into the deep abyss. Vertigo and the Ice Maiden clutch at human beings, as the polypus seizes upon all that comes within its reach. And now Vertigo was to seize Rudy._

The Ice Maiden felt herself weakening as the summer's heat came, melting away. She retreated farther into her ice palace in discomfort and waited, fanning herself. She despised this weakness that she was afflicted with. And where the hell was Vertigo? His time limit was almost up and she still felt that boy alive, still watched him animatedly chatting and playing with the dog and the cat and the hens and the goats and the swallows and _gods_ only knew what else that boy communed with. Suddenly she heard the rush of wind and an angered growl. She looked over from her place lounging on her ice throne and started on seeing a figure materialize.

"Vertigo! What are you doing back here? The child is still alive, last I checked," she said to him. "I told you to seize him!"

 _"Seitze him, indeed," cried Vertigo. "I cannot do it. That monster of a cat has taught him her tricks! That child of the human race has a power within him which keeps me at a distance. I cannot possibly reach the boy when he hangs from the branches of trees over the precipice, or I would gladly tickle his feet and send him heels over head through the air, but I cannot accomplish it!"_

 _"We **must** accomplish it," said the Ice Maiden. "Either you or I must, and I will. I will!"_

"Good luck," Vertigo sneered in disgust. Not he or any of his _brothers_ could. The odds of that boy falling to his death were slim to none. Maybe freezing him _would_ be a more likely way to end the snot-nosed pest. He looked at her and frowned. His expression softened slightly and he approached her. "My poor maiden, you are melting," he said, tone softer as he knelt at her side and took her hand.

She looked over at him with an annoyed frown, but her expression soon softened as well. "I know," she answered. "It seems to grow worse each year… What I wouldn't give to be able to walk in the sun unhindered. To be able to exist in the summer and continue carrying out my desires and plots instead of being forced to retreat farther and farther north with each passing year. But I'll hold out a little longer. I'm not leaving this place until I have that boy in my embrace again!" Vertigo opened his mouth to argue her and try and convince her to retreat, but someone, rather multiple someone's, beat him to the punch.

 _"No, no!" sounded through the air, like an echo on the mountain church bells chime. It was an answer in song, in the melting tones of a chorus from others of nature's spirits, good and loving spirits, the daughters of the sunbeam. They who place themselves in a circle every evening on the mountain peaks. There they spread out their rose-colored wings, which, as the sun sinks, become more flaming red, until the lofty Alps seem to burn with fire. Men call this the Alpine glow. After the sun has set, they disappear within the white snow on the mountain tops, and slumber there till sunrise when they again come forth. They have great love for flowers, for butterflies, and for mankind; and from among the latter they had chosen little Rudy._

"Sisters-in-law," Vertigo greeted flatly. What his brothers had ever seen in them he didn't know. Those daughters of the sunbeam were spirits of light, he and his own siblings spirits of dark. How on earth the daughters of the sunbeam and his brothers had connected he would never know. He was content with his Ice Maiden, thank you very much. Oh they were horrible to her. Of course they didn't mean to be, it was just nature's way. Sun melted ice. They were of the sun, she was of the ice, and oh how the Ice Maiden despised them. With her whole being she despised them. He was no fan of them either. He'd never been fond of their constant singing.

"Oh gods no," the Ice Maiden said, holding her head in her hands.

 _"You shall not catch him, you shall not seize him!" they sang._

 _"Greater and stronger than he have I seized!" said the Ice Maiden._

 _Then the daughters of the sun sang a song of the traveller, whose cloak had been carried away by the wind. "The wind took the covering, but not the man; it could even seize upon him, but not hold him fast. The children of strength are more powerful, more ethereal, even than we are. They can rise higher than our parent, the sun. They have the magic words that rule the wind and the waves, and compel them to serve and obey; and they can, at last, cast off the heavy, oppressive weight of mortality and soar upwards." Thus sweetly sounded the bell-like tones of the chorus._

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?!" the Ice Maiden furiously demanded. One by one, though, the daughters of the sunbeam disappeared humming to themselves.

 _And each morning the sun's rays shone through the one little window of the grandfather's house upon the quiet child. The daughters of the sunbeam kissed him; they wished to thaw and melt, and obliterate the ice kiss which the queenly maiden of the glaciers had given him as he lay in the lap of his dead mother, in the deep crevasse of ice from which he had been so wonderfully rescued._

Frozen

"Damn them!" the Ice Maiden agitatedly said.

"Rest, my queen. You're weakening," Vertigo said, taking her arm and turning her to face him. He reached up, gently wiping away a trail of water leaking down her neck. She felt it with her fingertips and started, staring at the water. For a long moment she was quiet. Finally, though, she sighed and sat again weakly.

"I'm dying," she flatly stated.

"No," Vertigo insisted, sitting at her side. "Retreat again to the cold, my lady fair. I will continue to try and claim Kristoff in your absence. Only do not stay here."

"Eventually even the North will be no sanctuary for me," she said with a sigh, laying down. "I must be free of this curse… Free me of this curse."

"You are the Ice Maiden. It is no curse. It is just you," Vertigo said.

"Well make that 'me' better!" she insisted, sitting up sharply and glaring at him. "I'm so tired of being weak. Of fading away with every touch of the sun. I just… I want to live on without that trouble. Think of it Vertigo. Think of the havoc we could spread if I could be at your side all year around! The chaos, the victims, the power, the wicked deeds and the fear we could spread, oh think of it!"

Vertigo was quiet. "There… is a creature… One of the Fair Folk, but an anomaly. The son of a troll and a sprite," he soon said.

She perked up. "Go on," she said.

"He has great power within him. You have heard of the mirror? The cursed mirror which broke in the heavens long ago and sent its shards raining down upon the earth and mortal man?" he asked.

"Yes…" she cautiously began, raising an eyebrow.

"He is its master. The one who crafted it," Vetigo said. She started, eyes widening in surprise. "He may be able to grant you your wish. But the fae do nothing without price. Tell me, my cold love. What would you give to have this weakness taken from you?"

"Anything! No price is too great," she insisted.

He nodded, considering her words. "Then I will bring you to him," he soon said. "You can petition to him your troubles and he'll help you. If you're willing to give anything, then really no price he asks will much affect you," he said.

"Oh thank you, my darling, thank you!" she exclaimed, throwing herself into his arms and holding him close. He held her tightly back, gently rocking her in his arms and smiling softly.

Frozen

They approached the lair of the hobgoblin in silence. She looked up at the place in awe and wonder, he in apprehension. As the doors opened for them, leading them towards where they would meet the hobgoblin. They entered a room and the Ice Maiden caught her breath. Ahead was a space where piece by piece a mirror was starting to come together. It wasn't very far along at all, but it was getting there. She approached it. Vertigo followed. The Ice Maiden knelt, picking up one of the shards that had yet to be placed. The daughter of air felt the power radiating from it. "This is it, Vertigo," she whispered. "This may be the answer to my prayers."

"You don't know that for a certainty. Put it down, Ice Maiden. I hear him coming," Vertigo warned, liking this less and less. The Ice Maiden quickly laid the shard down and stood, turning to face the entrance of the room. It's master was coming.

The doors opened and there in the entryway stood the hobgoblin, an amalgamation of troll and sprite both. They eyed him warily. The troll king paused, looking them over. Her in particular. He gazed at the Ice Maiden in nothing short of wonder, marvelling at her beauty. Vertigo bristled at the creature's scrutiny of his Ice Maiden. "So you are the one," she said.

"Who are you?" Carabis questioned.

"I am the daughter of Air, the Ice Maiden," she answered.

"A nature spirit," he noted. More or less.

"Yes. Now here I am, wishing to talk to you of a most important matter," she said. "You are fae, are you not? And the master of this mirror? You can help me."

"You imply a deal," the wicked hobgoblin said.

"Yes," she answered. "And there is no price too great to see my wish fulfilled."

He was quiet. After a moment he smirked coldly. Most definitely a deal. He did love those. It was the Fair Folk part of him. "You know what I am. You know the way of the fae. You really want to make a deal with me?" he questioned.

"I do," she stated.

"Then what is your wish?" Carabis asked.

"I tire of the weakness afflicting me. Of my state of dying whenever the sun comes or the warmth blossoms in spring and summer," she said.

"You are the Ice Maiden. It is what your fate is. It is unwise for a spirit of nature to ask to be anything more. If you dislike it so, that's your business, but it's your burden to live with," he answered.

"Can you make the weakness go away?" she pressed, not about to be daunted.

He was quiet, summing her up. After a moment he looked passed her to the shards of the mirror on the ground. Raising his hand, he summoned one to float over to him. The one she'd picked up. Vertigo tensed up. That was no coincidence. This creature had been watching. The hobgoblin took the shard into his hand, looking it over. "There is a way, yes," he admitted. "But you may not like it."

"Any price," she stated firmly.

"Hmm… Any?" he asked.

"Any," she stated.

"Very well," he said. He looked up at her and sent the shard to her. She stared at it, floating right in front of her, and took it. "Drive it into your breast, and I will fuse it to you. Its curse will have no effect on a nature spirit, but it will allow me to join its magic with your own and form a shell for your icy body. A human shell. Every bit as resilient to heat as mankind is. No more will you have to fear melting in the rays of the sun or in the spring and summer. No more will you have to flee to the North or to the icy mountains and glaciers to find salvation."

"It will enslave her to you," Vertigo said, eyes narrowed coldly. "She will become a walking, talking, breathing piece of your evil mirror."

"She will. But she will be able to wreak havoc unlike anything she has ever done before. Unlike anything either of you have ever seen. It will satisfy all of us," Carabis stated.

"And when the mirror is put together and you need the shard from her body?" Vertigo demanded.

"She is a nature spirit. When the shard is needed, I will take it back. She will become as she is now. The Fair Folk do not have the power to destroy a spirit of nature. Most of us are sworn to protect it, in fact," Carabis replied.

"So it won't be permanent," the Ice Maiden said, slightly disheartened.

"There is a way it _could_ be. When the mirror is almost finished, and all that is needed is the shard within you, I _could_ fuse the whole thing into you," Carabis said. "I could turn you into the mirror itself with all its power, though then you would be my slave forever more."

"Ice Maiden, don't do this," Vertigo immediately said, turning to her.

"What's this? Do I sense love in the air?" Carabis asked. Vertigo sharply turned to him, giving him a dagger look, then focused on her again. "It isn't worth it," he said seriously.

"No price is too great," she said. She turned to Carabis again. "Make me the mirror, when the time comes," she said. "We are of like mind, you and I. You know that. To bring life to such a wicked thing as your mirror… Oh imagine how much worse it would be."

"You will be my instrument," he said to her.

"I will," she stated. "But for a time, at least, I'll be free. I make the world suffer happily. Servitude won't be so bad, if it entails continuing to do just that."

"Very well. Now, free of your weakness, you will be so much stronger. So much more useful," Carabis stated.

"Yes. Take my weakness. Take it," she insisted eagerly. Vertigo shifted, hating every second of this. Something was wrong. It was never this easy or straight forward. The fae could twist things so very easily…

"Your will and mine will both be realized through you," Carabis said to her. She grinned widely and pressed the shard into her body, feeling the magic course through her. She was almost giddy about it. Such power in this one little shard… It was amazing! She had never felt anything like this. She felt a form starting to shape and gasped, looking down at herself and watching in morbid fascination as bone and sinew and muscle and flesh began to combine into a human shell. Yes. Yes! She was so close. She felt skin covering over her facial area and felt a surge shoot through her. She coughed for air, collapsing to her knees.

Vertigo, watching on in concern and perhaps even fear, suddenly felt a strange tingling going through him. He frowned. What was this? Quickly he looked down at himself and his eyes widened in fear. He was fading away. Why was he fading away?! He gasped, looking quickly up. Carabis was smirking darkly at him. No… No! "My lady, run, you've been deceived!" Vertigo exclaimed in alarm, quickly turning to her and trying to go to her, but he found he couldn't. He felt himself being torn apart. Not torn apart as in dying, though—there was sprite enough in the hobgoblin that it couldn't kill him—but torn apart as if becoming… Becoming what? An essence? An incorporeal form to be imprisoned in some faerie machination?! What was the hobgoblin doing?! "Ice Maiden, hear me! Flee!" Vertigo frantically shouted as his arm, stretched towards her, began to dissolve. He had called to her, but she was too engrossed in what was happening to hear him or notice what was becoming of him. It was working. It was working! It was painful, yes, but it was working! He screamed her name as loud as he could, trying one final time to warn her, but his voice was carried away as all the rest of him vanished into nothingness.

Frozen

Slowly, shakily, the Ice Maiden rose as her body finished building itself. She gazed at her hands in disbelief then grinned wickedly. "It worked," she said. She looked up quickly. "It worked!" she exclaimed, turning to where Vertigo had been. She caught her breath, eyes widening. He was no longer there! "Vertigo?" she said. "Vertigo!" she called.

She heard a dark chuckle and stiffened. Carabis. Oh no… No, no, no! She spun quickly to face the wicked hobgoblin, pale. "Missing something, my lady?" he asked.

She was quiet. "Where is he?" she suddenly and darkly asked. Carabis's smirk widened. "Where is he?!" she screamed, lunging at him. Something caught her, though, holding her back, and she tensed up. She pulled again but couldn't move. Like something was chaining her in place. She spun around to look at the mirror. It was glowing and a figure began to appear inside of it. A figure who had collapsed to his knees weakly. It looked up at her and she paled, covering her mouth in horror. No… She felt a scream welling up, but it came out a choking gasp. She scrambled to the mirror and placed her hands on it, white with fear and alarm. "Vertigo!" she finally found her voice long enough to cry out. Slowly he looked up at her, meeting her eyes. He swallowed and bowed his head weakly. He couldn't get out, she realized. He couldn't even stand, trapped in the small part of the mirror that had been fixed as if where the shards ended were the boundaries of some prison.

"You asked me to take away your weakness, Ice Maiden," the troll king innocently said. "So I took it. I took it and gave you a strength instead."

"You bastard!" she screamed, spinning on him. "That wasn't the weakness I meant!"

"No? You didn't specify," Carabis said. "Oops. I think I made a grevious mistake. Oh but it's such a hassle to get him out. I really can't be bothered to. Of course a fae does keep his promises so I suppose… Oh wait. I've kept my promises regardless. After all, no price too great, remember? No price too great."

The Ice Maiden paled, terror slowly starting to come to her eyes as she realized fully what this meant. She gasped, turning to her imprisoned lover. He looked up at her again then passed her at the troll king. He turned to her again and placed a hand against the mirror. Shakily she reached out, touching it with her own. She felt only glass. The next second the image vanished and she gasped. "Bring him back!" she pled, turning quickly to Carabis. "Bring him back, please!"

"That will be a problem, I'm afraid. You see, I can't. He is imprisoned in that mirror until every last shard is in its place. Then, and only then, _might_ he be able to be free. I'm afraid gathering up all the shards, though… It will take years, you know. Perhaps centuries. Perhaps millennia. Some shards no bigger than a grain of sand, some shards embedded in the bodies of the dead, some to this day still being tossed around by the winds… Hmm, this talk about all the work I have to do… I just realized you may _never_ see him again," the troll said. She gazed at the mirror in numb terror, shaking her head in denial. No… No, this couldn't be! No! "At least _alone_ it may take millennia. With some help, though…"

She raised her head up slowly, eyes lighting up in realization. "You mean…" she began.

"The more people searching for my shards, the faster he is free. His body. Not just his essence. My minions already search everywhere and anywhere for the shards, but some are where they can't reach. Some are bound up in hearts and bodies, and they're certainly no good at freeing shards from such places. Well, they can be. Sometimes they just cut out the heart or carve up the bodies. However, there are those who fight back that they cannot overcome or have not even found. So now it's _my_ turn to make a deal," Carabis said.

"A deal?" she asked in a whisper.

"Yes… It's one you can't refuse," he said. "Work for me. Help me to recover the shards. The faster they're gathered, well, you know the rest."

"I don't know where they are," she answered.

"I will tell you where every single one I need you to gather from the hearts of men is. For a price."

"What price?" she whispered, eyes fixed on the mirror.

He smirked icily and approached her slow. Kneeling behind her, he whispered, lips brushing her ear. "You will give yourself to me," he answered.

She was still, icy shards starting to swirl around her. "No," she replied.

"Oh come now. I won't be the only one you give yourself to before this is done. You of course need to lure the men with shards in their hearts _here_ , so that I may stitch them into the mirror while they are unaware and consumed with… other pleasures," he said.

"No!" she replied, turning quickly to him.

"You do as I say, or you never see him again. I'll even sweeten the deal. Give yourself to me, and with my guarantee there will be no further trick regarding Vertigo, I will let him speak with you as a voice. At least then you will have some small and constant part of him with you to strengthen you for the endeavors you will have to go through. Though more likely he'll beg you not to and it will just be more difficult and torturous for you both," the hobgoblin said.

She seemed almost ill at the thought, staring at him a long moment. If she refused him, Vertigo suffered all the longer. If she agreed… The sooner the mirror was completed, the sooner both her pain and his ended. They were immortal. Ethereal. It would be best to just get it done and then never have to look back again…

 _But in the end you will still be the hobgoblin's slave… But I will have **him** back…_

Tears threatened her eyes, but after a moment she let her arms drop and made the icy shawl that covered her mortal form disappear. So be it. Her body was his now. He could make her do what he wanted her to in whichever form he pleased. He smirked coldly and amusedly. She was willing to do this. How sweet. He was almost tempted to force her lover to watch. Maybe he should. He placed his hands upon her and cast a dark spell. When he finished with her, then her lover's voice would be unlocked for her to hear. She hissed in slight discomfort, but when the discomfort faded she swallowed and looked up at him. Reflected in his eyes was the glowing mirror. She knew what he was doing. She almost crumbled when she saw Vertigo appear once more, look up, and see what was happening. She almost broke down when she saw the anguish and terror and alarm in his eyes, when she saw him struggling so desperately to break free, when she saw him trying to scream to her and beg her to stop. Soon, though, he gave up. He knew there was no escape. He knew he couldn't reach her. She swore she saw part of him dying.

"And now you will serve me," the hobgoblin said.

"I will serve you," she answered.

"Sleep with me," he commanded. Though sleep was the last thing he intended to do with her.

"Imbue me with your power and will, troll king," she answered. He laughed darkly, pulled her into his arms, and threw her upon the ground, pinning her arms above her head and enveloping her body with his as he savagely took her…


	5. Mysterious Woman

Mysterious Woman

It was early morning when the brothers took to scouting the ruined homes for survivors. Abigail and her children had remained behind at the ships. Until they could re-establish themselves, odds were they would either be staying at the palace or Jürgen would be staying here until he had them set up again. They supposed they'd just have to see. They pushed open the door of another ruined home and scouted around it. Again there were no survivors to be found. On the bright side there were no bodies either, which meant that maybe they'd gotten away and hidden in the rocky cliffs or some wooded area.

"How many dead?" Coth questioned Justic.

"Seventeen, so far. Hopefully the number doesn't rise anymore," Justic replied, looking over his log.

"It shouldn't. We're about to search the last few unaccounted for family houses now," Jürgen said, pushing the door to a fair sized building open.

"Help!" they heard a voice call. "Someone!" A woman, they realized.

"Oh this place got it bad," Connyn said. He dreaded to know whether or not the woman had gotten it as bad _herself_.

"Where are you?!" Hans called out, nodding in agreement with Connyn.

"Oh gods, please, help me!" she called out again. It sounded like it was coming from behind a closed door somewhere. Holding their weapons, they began exploring. Hans walked down a lengthy hallway. "Help!" he heard her call again.

He froze and looked over. There. Behind _that_ door, it must be. Quickly he went to it and pushed it open. He caught his breath, eyes widening. It was definitely here. "I found her!" he shouted to his brothers before immediately turning attention to the woman again and crossing to her. She was unclothed, he saw, and battered, laying weakly against a pile of linens. "What happened? Did they…?" He trailed off.

"Yes," she whispered trough swollen lips. "I tried to hold them off, but I-I couldn't! I couldn't!" she exclaimed.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, you don't have to go on," he assured.

"When they heard the fighting they went to battle. Otherwise I fear they wouldn't have left at all," she said, near tears.

He nodded in understanding, but… but something seemed off… He didn't know what it was. He was getting a deceiver vibe. Why, though, would she lie about something that horrible? Deciding he was just being paranoid, he quickly removed his jacket and gave it to her to cover herself with. She took it gratefully, putting it on as his brothers came into the room. She looked at him with such a look of gratitude he found himself blushing, stomach doing little flips. It didn't help that she was really very, very attractive. Gorgeous, in fact. He rose and went to them.

"What happened to her?" Franz asked.

"Two guesses," Hans deadpanned, frowning at his brother.

"I don't think I need even one," Franz flatly replied.

Lars, meanwhile, stared at the woman. Why did he suddenly feel so… so _unsettled_? He shifted uneasily. She cast her gaze at him and he looked quickly away. He felt like meeting her eyes would be very bad… He didn't know why, and he felt horrible because of it. "Mael, you need to check on her. If she'll let you," Moren said. Lars visibly squirmed, glancing at her. He turned quickly back to Moren. "She needs a real doctor. A trained and certified one."

"You could outclass all of them," Coth deadpanned.

"She just needs one, okay?!" Mael immediately shot. His brothers gave him odd looks. He blushed then turned, quickly leaving the room.

Hans watched after his sibling curiously then turned to the woman again. Something about her had set Lars off… Which meant maybe his sense that she wasn't being entirely truthful wasn't totally wrong after all. Still, if there was a chance even part of it was real, she couldn't be isolated right now. He approached her and knelt in front of the woman. "My lady, I know that maybe right now the last thing you want is to be surrounded by so many men. I'll send them away and then I can bring you somewhere safe. I'm afraid the male presence will outweigh the female, but my sister-in-law seems to be an understanding woman. I'm sure she'll take care of you."

"Alright," the woman answered in a whisper, looking up and meeting his eyes. He felt a sudden cold prickle up his arm. That was… strange… And her eyes. Suddenly his own were hurting. He winced, looking away and rubbing one. Something was agitating it, he noted. Probably dust or an eyelash, he assumed. Hoped… He didn't like that his temples felt suddenly very cold too. Ugh, he needed a rest. And maybe to get his mind off Elsa. He smirked to himself. Hey, it _could_ be a placebo effect. This woman looked a fair bit like the Queen of Arendelle, actually, only with hair that was somehow even whiter. Like snow. And done in a different style. Sharper features too. Almost... not entirely real in her beauty. He looked at his brothers and went to them. He murmured something to them about checking the rest of the buildings. They nodded in agreement and left.

Hans returned to the mysterious woman and offered his hand. "Shall we?" he asked.

"Let's shall," she answered, smiling timidly up at him and placing her hand in his. He felt a spike of something shoot through him. He wasn't sure what. Just that he was starting to get a headache now, and that his chest kind of hurt. Just as soon as it started, though, it was gone, and he chalked it up to the near-death experience in the burning house. He smiled back at her and led her towards the ships where Abigail would be.

Frozen

Hans brought the mysterious woman into Jürgen's cabin on his ship. Abigail looked up from a book as he entered. The children must be running around the boat and making general nuisances of themselves. The poor woman looked exhausted. She smiled at Hans and the mysterious girl. "Who is this?" she asked her brother-in-law.

"A survivor. She managed to make it through the attack, but…" he began.

Abigail looked her over and paled, smile falling. She could guess where this was going. "Oh you poor thing," she said, quickly and concernedly rising. "Oh honey, it'll be okay." The mysterious woman looked down, hiding behind Hans a little and pressing herself against his back. Given she was terrified, he let it go with just a brief flash of discomfort passing his expression.

"Can you take care of her?" Hans asked, gently moving the woman out from behind him. He wasn't a fan of the nearness.

"Of course," Abigail answered.

"Where are the children and Lars?" Hans asked.

"He came back looking troubled. He found me struggling to keep them in line and offered to babysit, so I sent them off with him. Please, please, please tell me you'll have time to read them one of your stories to help them settle before bed," Abigail all but begged.

Hans chuckled. "Of course," he replied.

"You write?" the mysterious woman asked, looking at him with wide eyes.

"I do," Hans confirmed. "It's one of my favorite things to do."

"Mine too!" the mysterious woman exclaimed, grinning.

"Wait, really?" Hans asked, lighting up a little and feeling a bit more at ease. "What do you write?"

"Poetry, short stories, things like that. I write lots of things for children," she said.

"Me too," Hans said, grinning.

"And travel. I love to travel," she said.

"Another thing we have in common," he replied. "I can't seem to get enough of it at times. It's part of the reason I take to the seas so often."

"My father was a sailor. An Admiral," she remarked. "He used to take me with him sometimes."

"He shared the position I have now," Hans said. "He seems a most interesting man."

"He was. He's gone now," she said, looking a little sad.

"Another thing we share. Of course I cared next to nothing for _my_ farther," Hans deadpanned. "Well… at least until recently. Some… things were found out about him that kind of changed my perception a little."

"What things?" she asked.

"It's… it's nothing," he answered. "Abigail will tend to you. I or one of my brothers will return to check on you later, my lady."

"I hope it's you," she replied, smiling. "I think it would be fun to swap story ideas and tales."

"Perhaps you'll help me put the children to sleep then," Hans said, smiling in return. He bowed to her then turned and left, shutting the door behind him. He set out to find Lars.

Frozen

Mael stood at the helm looking down on the ship's deck, watching the children race around and quiz the sailors on board, who were surprisingly tolerant of their presences. He spotted Hans coming up to greet him and nodded an acknowledgement. Hans came up to his side and looked down. "What was up with your reaction to the woman?" Hans questioned.

"I… I don't know," Mael answered. "Just… I'm not sure how to explain it. An unsettling feeling."

"What do you make of her?" Hans asked.

"She seems a good enough woman," Mael answered. "I intend to apologize to her for my actions when she joins us for dinner. I'm not sure what made me feel uneasy."

"What do you make of her? Honestly?" Hans pressed. "Be judgemental. Your gut is rarely wrong."

Mael shifted. "She's hiding something. There's a feeling about her… I wonder if she was as helpless as she claimed to be."

"You saying she _let_ them do that to her?" Hans asked, frowning.

"I'm saying I wonder if anyone did that to her at _all_ ," Mael replied.

"She was suspiciously calm, but it may have been shock," Hans said.

"Maybe. I'm not going to pass an unfair judgement on her, Hans. I just feel like somewhere in her blood line there was power. She may not share it, but somewhere there was power… She could be a very good asset to the Southern Isles, maybe even a useful ally…" Mael said.

"We're not using her, Mael," Hans deadpanned.

"Why not? We use everybody else," Lars answered.

"That's not true! Entirely," Hans replied. "Well, for the most part. Least part. Oh for the love of… just never mind!" Lars chuckled, smirking at his brother.

Frozen

The brothers, Jürgen's family, and the mysterious woman were sitting around a table in a relatively untouched house that belonged to a crewman of Jürgen's ship who had insisted on hosting the large family until they could re-establish themselves. Apparently the man owed Jürgen his life many times over. The star attraction was the woman, it seemed, who appeared very overwhelmed and uncomfortable. She had made it a point to sit very near to Hans and Abigail for security's sake. It seemed she'd imprinted on Hans, given he was the one who found her and covered her, and she trusted Abigail more than the rest of them, so it was no surprise. Neither of the two much minded it.

"I meant to apologize, my lady, for my behavior when our baby brother found you," Mael said. "I'm not sure what came over me."

"It's alright," she replied, looking at him. He still wasn't meeting her eyes, but she didn't worry too much about that yet.

"Might we ask your name, my lady?" Moren questioned.

"My name? Oh, um, m-my name is Greta," she answered. "I'm twenty-four."

"Not much younger than Hans, then," Franz remarked, subtly looking her over. She was the loveliest thing he'd seen in a good long while. He wouldn't half mind flirting with her, but it was probably too soon given what she'd been through. He didn't need her terrified of him.

She nodded and looked at Moren. "You are the king?" she asked.

"I am," Moren answered, bowing his head. She nodded.

"Were you tended well?" Connyn questioned.

"I was. Abigail was very gentle and kind," Greta answered. "She took care of my injuries and offered to send for a doctor to examine the extent of the damage, but… but I was afraid… Afraid to have anyone come so near again."

"I'll draw her a bath tonight after dinner," Abigail said. "She can wash and I'll lend her a nightgown. She's very afraid, right now. She doesn't wish to be left alone."

"Understandable," Rhun remarked.

"You said you were a writer," Hans remarked to her, wanting to get onto that topic again. It was always a pleasure to meet a fellow writer. Goodness knew he could talk for hours about it. Probably too long, honestly.

"Yes. I haven't gotten anything officially published, but I would share my stories with children or with my family and friends, and they all seemed to like it," she replied, grinning at him and lighting up, suddenly seeming much more at ease.

"What sorts of topics do you like to focus on?" Hans asked.

"Seasons are a favorite. I often personify what isn't really personified, and often have them interacting or playing or betting. Seasons and weather conditions. You can do a surprising deal with those," she said.

"Oh without doubt. You can get a story from anything you touch, if you have the mind to," Hans said. "What literary forms do you like?"

"Metaphor and simile are favorites of mine, and symbolism," she said.

"Oh I adore metaphor and symbolism," Hans said. "They're among my favorites too. I tend to use many surrogates as well, or write based on things I've gone through or people I've met."

"I would very much like to read something of yours," she said.

"And I would very much be honored to show you. Perhaps read something of yours in turn," he replied.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "I would be most pleased to have you read something of mine. Abigail tells me you write under a pseudonym? Well, that's what she claimed Jürgen has told her."

"Yes, I do," he confirmed. "After we're done eating we'll exchange stories."

"I would like that," she replied, giving him a look that made him tense ever so slightly.

"On the ship's deck," he said, neatly backtracking out of any possibility of ending up alone with her anywhere. That would be improper. Doubly so since he was engaged. She frowned at him but then smiled ruefully, nodding in agreement. Caleb gave Hans an approving look, silently praising him for his action.

Frozen

Iscawin and Kelin-Sel were watching from the helm as Hans and Greta sat on the deck discussing their works and looking totally engrossed in their conversation. "I've never seen him converse so long with _anyone_ before, let alone connect with them almost immediately," Iscawin said in amazement. "They share all he same interests, all the same likes… It's like they were made for one another. You think he'll break it off with Elsa?" he hopefully asked. Kelin-Sel gave Iscawin a 'really' sort of look. "What?" Iscawin defended, blushing. "If he connects with this woman, it means maybe _I'll_ have a chance with the queen again!"

"That's your brother's fiancé you're talking about, Iscawin. Tread carefully," Kelin-Sel warned.

"Do you deny it? They get along amazingly," he said, gesturing to Hans and the woman. "He looks at ease, Kelin-Sel. Maybe _she's_ the one he needs. Maybe… maybe you could find out? If he's getting any second thoughts? Surely he must. They've spoken for hours nonstop! And Abigail says that the way they played off of one another when they put her children to bed was like watching a married couple put their babies to sleep together."

"Look harder, Iscawin. Hans keeps avoiding any contact she tries to instigate. She covers his hand, he pulls it back. She moves closer, he stands and begins to pace. Hans isn't in this conversation purely for pleasure. There's something else," Kelin-Sel said.

"Or you're imagining things. Just try to talk to him. Please," Iscawin pled. "You know my feelings for Elsa, what I would give to have her look at me like Hans and Greta are looking at one another. Please, brother. I have to know if there's a chance."

"You're treading dangerously, little bro, but fine. Don't expect much, though. Hans has an ulterior motive. I sense it. The look he sometimes gives her isn't one of a smitten schoolboy. It's one he gives when sizing up something," Kelin-Sel agreed. He knew it all too well. He'd always... feared it, if he was to be completely honest. Feared being read or scrutinized. Feared it every time his sibling had looked at him, because he felt so very uncomfortable... It was hard to explain, but it was almost like looking at a reflection of himself, or a mockery of one, when Hans had met his eyes when they were young.

Frozen

"I should go, I suppose. Take my bath and go to sleep," she soon remarked, looking out over the ocean, the moonlight silhouetting her against it and driving home how beautiful she was.

Hans caught himself looking a little too long. Not for desire or admiration though, he hoped. More… well, frankly it was eerie. Maybe Lars's paranoia was rubbing off on him. He almost found himself asking 'so soon' before realizing that would be treading on very thin ice. He'd only just met this woman.

 _But if feels like you've known her a lifetime._

Yes… Yes it did… But in what sense? "Of course, my lady," he agreed. "I need my own sleep as well. Goodnight. May your rest be peaceful," he said. He took her hand and kissed it quickly, ensuring no amount of intimacy was in the gesture, then turned to leave before she could try to press for anything.

Leaving her line of sight, he breathed a sigh. "She's beautiful," a voice said. Kelin-Sel.

Hans turned to his brother curiously. "She is," he confirmed.

"And intelligent, and creative, and funny. To say nothing of her stories, which are well-crafted. Her knowledge of travel and foreign lands as well. She must be the most fascinating creature you've met for quite some time," Kelin-Sel said.

"If you're implying I may be developing a crush, you're out of your mind," Hans replied.

"You've spent hours upon hours with her. You haven't left her side since we met her unless you had to. You put the children to bed with her even, and don't pretend Madeline wasn't teasing you two about your nearness and that you didn't notice," Kelin-Sel said. "She's… she's perfect for you, Hans… Like a soul mate. You're telling me you haven't wondered once what it would have been like if you'd met her before Elsa? In every way she is in tune with you, in perfect synchronicity."

Hans chuckled darkly in a way that put Kelin-Sel on edge. He hadn't heard _that_ chuckle for a while. He wasn't sure what he thought about hearing it now. His eyes narrowed. Hans turned to look out over the ocean. His amused smirk fell and suddenly he looked much more… on edge, maybe, was the phrase? Suspicious? "I've always been skeptical of perfection," Hans finally remarked. "I've played the perfect synchronicity game before. With Anna… _Always_ be skeptical of perfection."

Kelin-Sel was quiet. "You were reading her," he realized. Drawing her out, seeing just how 'in tune' they seemed to be so he could determine whether it was fakery or reality. "There was no conflict at all?"

"None. Absolutely none… Like she was a reflection of me only feminine. Not a reflection in the sense Elsa is, but a _perfect_ reflection. Mind, heart, feelings, likes and dislikes… As if I'm looking into a flawless mirror into my mind and heart… I hate mirrors… You know, Mael hasn't looked her in the eyes. Not once…" Hans remarked.

"What is your take?" Kelin-Sel asked.

"I don't know," Hans admitted with a sigh. "Just… I don't know. She is perfect for me in every way, and that in itself is an imperfection. One that doesn't sit well with me… I want her to leave. At the same time I _don't_ want her to. Like… like something in me is drawn to her… I don't think it's drawn to her in a good way."

"Lust?" Kelin-Sel asked.

"No… Looking glass," Hans answered, turning to his brother seriously.

Kelin-Sel tensed up. The shards… "You're being paranoid," he finally said.

"Maybe… I'm guessing Iscawin sent you down to feel me out? Tell him forget it. I'm not leaving Elsa for an illusion of perfection."

"And if it isn't an illusion after all?" Kelin-Sel asked. "What if she's genuine, Hans? What if she truly is made for you?"

"Since when did you start believing people were made for one another?" Hans asked.

"Could you forgive yourself for letting her slip through your fingers?" Kelin-Sel pressed.

"It's apparent whose side _you've_ taken," Hans deadpanned. "How long have you been rooting for Iscawin and Elsa?"

"Don't go there, Hans, don't you dare," Kelin-Sel warned.

Hans rolled his eyes. "If she's genuine and all of her is truth, so be it… But my heart won't be hers. I chose the Queen of Arendelle."

"She chose you," Kelin-Sel corrected.

"Oh god, you _are_ on Iscawin's side," Hans said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No, I'm not. I just don't want to see you make another mistake with your life," Kelin-Sel said.

Hans sharply looked at him, eyes narrowed. "Get out of my sight," he warned darkly.

"You know it's true," Kelin-Sel said.

"Elsa is no one's mistake," Hans stated flatly. He took offense at people being referred to as mistakes or victories.

"Very well. It's your mistake, err, choice, to make," Kelin-Sel said. "I wish you luck… Truth be told I'd hoped you'd say as much." Though Iscawin wouldn't be happy.

Frozen

All of a sudden a scream pierced the air. Hans and Kelin-Sel quickly turned, eyes wide. "That was Greta!" Hans exclaimed. Quickly he raced off, Kelin-Sel at his heels. They reached the cabin as Iscawin was throwing it open and racing inside. They followed him and slid to a stop. Abigail looked terrified. Greta was huddled in a corner sobbing and naked.

"Abigail, what happened?!" Iscawin demanded as Abigail quickly ushered them back outside so they wouldn't see the woman's state of undress.

"I'm not sure! A trauma maybe? A sudden flashback? She won't let me near her! Nor will she stay in the bath long or look at the bed. Surely it was because of what happened to her. Maybe the reality of it has struck? I don't know!" Abigail replied.

"What's going on?!" Lars called, racing up to them quickly.

"It's the girl. She's going through some flashback or something," Kelin-Sel replied.

"I might be able to help her," Lars stated.

"She's indecent," Abigail protested.

"And if she should start tearing at her skin or hair?" Mael argued.

Abigail paled. "Alright," she relented. She opened the door and Lars stepped inside. The girl looked up… The girl met his eyes…

Frozen

Lars suddenly gasped, paling and staggering back as if he'd just been struck. Quickly his eyes were glazing over as they often did when he entered a seer-like trance. "Mael? Mael!" Kelin-Sel said, shaking his sibling. Lars stared at the woman in something akin to numb terror, then suddenly turned and fled as quickly as he could. "What the _hell_?!" Kelin-Sel exclaimed. He looked back at the girl, who was back to sobbing now. What had triggered his brother? He shook his head then raced after Lars while Hans and Iscawin gawked in disbelief.

"He has a vision _now_?! Really?!" Iscawin agitatedly demanded.

"He believed there may be some power in her bloodline," Hans said. "It might be what triggered it. Go after him. Try to figure out what he saw. I'll deal with the girl."

"Alright," Iscawin agreed, turning and running after Kelin-Sel and Mael.

Abigail looked nervous, wringing her apron uneasily. Hans turned to face Greta and took a breath. Oh boy. Slowly, carefully, he moved towards her with Abigail trailing behind. "Greta?" he asked in a low and soothing tone. "Hey, what's wrong?" Shaking, she looked slowly up at him. Carefully he knelt in front of her, though at a respectable distance. Not that it mattered. She suddenly sobbed and threw herself into his arms, totally flustering him and making him go about a dozen shades of red. What the heck?! Awkwardly and uneasily he held her back, trying to calm down and tell himself it was just because she was scared.

 _Is it?_

"It's okay, it's okay. You're safe now," he soothed. "You're safe."

Frozen

"Lars! Lars!" Kelin-Sel called to Mael, who finally had stopped running and was now panting for breath. Not exhausted breathes either, closer to panicked ones. The third oldest swallowed and turned to face Kelin-Sel and Iscawin. "What happened? What did you see?!"

"I… I can't remember," Lars numbly replied. "I just know that… I can't remember… Whatever it was… It was horrible…"

"Did it have to do with her? Is she dangerous? Did it have to do with Hans?" Iscawin worriedly asked.

"I don't… I'm not sure," Mael answered. It _had_ to have been linked to her, didn't it? _Surely_ it was, if he'd fled after being triggered by her eyes meeting his.

"Think, Mael, think. If that woman is deadly, if something's going wrong…" Iscawin began.

"I know… But I can't remember," Mael replied. "I'm trying. There was… It's all so blank. Just… just white… Like some endless blizzard… And flame?"

"Heaven and Hell?" Kelin-Sel joked, smiling worriedly.

Mael dryly laughed and shook his head. "I don't know what it was," he said again.

"Do you remember if she needs to go or not?" Iscawin asked. Just then he noticed his brother's eyes glazing again. "Lars? Lars!"

After a moment Lars shook his head, grimacing. "N-no… no… She's… she's safe… I think? At least… at least that's what _this_ glance seemed to say… Something else is the enemy…" Or was it all some twisted illusion or trick or hallucination? Maybe it was her after all! He just... "No, no, I… I don't know! I just don't know."

"So we're back to square one, and if anything that woman is more mysterious now than ever before," Kelin-Sel grimly said.

"Mysterious women are never good," Iscawin deadpanned. Of course that wasn't true, goodness knew how mysterious Elsa had been, but you got the point. "It's whether or not it's worth taking the risk that she's okay."

"She's fine," Lars said. They turned to him. He seemed… seemed almost half dazed? Like his words weren't his own but were. He looked at them. "She's safe for us," he repeated.

"Is she?" Kelin-Sel asked. Mael shifted and looked away. He didn't speak again. Worriedly Iscawin and Kelin-Sel stayed by his side in case something else weird happened.


	6. Seeds of Guilt

Seeds of Guilt

Hans was frantically trying to process how it was that he'd ended up sucked into staying with her as she bathed. She had insisted he be there and hadn't gotten into the bath until he'd physically picked her up and put her there. Then she'd pled that Abigail leave and Hans had put his foot down. No way no how. That was just no. Heck, _this_ was just no. He read through a book trying not to look in her direction. He felt very, very uncomfortable right now, to say the least. He was glad Abigail was here too, knitting something or other. The mysterious woman let out a shaky breath and Hans glanced over to ensure she wasn't going to break down again. He blinked in surprise then quickly turned away from her. Had she been posing? He fought the urge to double check. He'd guess she had been and that it was for him. See, this was why he didn't let himself get into these situations! This wasn't okay!

The woman climbed out of the tub and Abigail looked over. She smiled at the girl. "Do you feel better?" she asked.

"Yes Ms. Abigail," the woman answered. "I feel a little more composed… I don't want to be alone tonight, though."

"You won't be. I'll be here, and the children," Abigail said. By what miracle she'd gotten them back to sleep after Greta's panic attack she still didn't know.

"I want someone nearer than in the same room," Greta said. "I want… I want to feel safe." Abigail glanced at Hans, who pointedly buried his nose further in the book. Abigail sighed, turning back to her. "I suppose you could share the bed with me. Jürgen can sleep with one of his brothers."

"I wouldn't want to inconvenience you and your husband! Is it a guarantee none of them will hurt me? The princes?" she asked.

"A good number of us are already married with children or pining for women, a few are engaged of which I am one. There aren't many of us still single," Hans said. "But they won't hurt you if you decide to stay with any of them. Uh, to be safe don't bunk with Franz-Neb. Regardless of who you stay with, they'll take the floor. I'm afraid none of the married or engaged brothers, including me, will share a bed with you," Hans said, immediately putting a stop to any prodding she could have otherwise done to get him staying with her. Oh he could feel that woman's eyes on him…

"Why are you suddenly so cold, your highness?" Greta asked, hurt in her voice.

"I'll go get the nightgown," Abigail said, rising.

"Don't you dare!" Hans shot, glaring at her. She started and sat again, surprised at the reaction. Hans turned back to the book. "I'm not being cold, I'm being sensible," Hans replied. "I'm engaged, simple as that. I can't very well return to my fiancé and tell her I shared my bed with another woman." He was in deep enough trouble as it was when he told her about _this_. "I have no issues with you, Greta, but understand that I'm off bounds. I mean, I like our conversations and will happily continue those, but conversations are all they can be."

"You think I would try and steal you from her?" the woman asked, frowning and crossing her arms.

"I don't think you to be a loose woman, if that's what you mean, but better safe than sorry," Hans replied. " _I'll_ get the nightgown." And make it as all-encompassing as possible too. Definitely not one of those light filmy little numbers he was certain were worn by Abigail only as a treat for Jürgen on special occasions. He left quickly before argument could be made and returned in a minute or two with a nightdress that he handed over to her.

"That's about the ugliest one I have," Abigail deadpanned, eyeing it.

"Good," Hans replied. "Less likely to get the blood of my brothers pumping." Abigail sighed and nodded. She supposed she got the practicality of that. He turned to Greta again. "You'd be better off to stay with Abigail," he said to her as a last warning.

"I'll consider it," Greta replied. "Goodnight, Prince Hans."

"Goodnight," Hans replied, all too happily getting out of there.

Frozen

It was breakfast the next morning. They were gathered again in the house of the crewman and discussing their plan. "Do you have a place to go, Greta?" Moren questioned the mysterious woman.

"No… Not anymore… They destroyed my home, I have no family, and… and to be honest, after what happened I don't think I can bear to be here anymore," she answered.

"Then we will bring you with us back to the mainland," Caleb said. "You will be a guest in our castle until we find a place for you to stay. Keep away from my brothers, that's all I ask. Some of them can't be trusted. Franz."

Franz blinked then frowned. "Your opinion of me is most flattering, your Majesty," he deadpanned to his sibling. Caleb smirked half coldly and half teasingly.

"Thank you, your highness. You are so kind," Greta said, twirling a strand of hair around her finger as she glanced at Hans. Hans smiled at her then looked away, avoiding the gaze. It was apparent that by now gossip was alive and well among his brothers about the woman's affections for him and his intrigue with her. That was trouble he didn't need. Oh how he didn't need it.

"I feel you haven't told us everything about yourself, my lady. Naturally, if we're to let you into our castle we need to know you aren't keeping secrets that could, you know, kill us," Kelin-Sel suddenly said. Hans could have kissed his brother right then and there for focusing attentions back on figuring out who she was before inviting her in.

"Are you all so suspicious?" she asked with a laugh.

"Healthy paranoia has kept us alive _this_ long. My brother makes a point. What is your story, lady?" Moren questioned.

"I could concoct a thousand fanciful tales and you would not even know which one was true, your majesty," she replied, smiling ruefully. "How could you be sure anything I said was real?"

"You're a chameleon then. Like Hans," Justic said. And them, but mostly Hans. "Which means we can't trust you at all." Hans gave him a sharp and unimpressed look. Justic smirked before becoming serious again and focusing on Greta. "So why should we give you asylum?" he continued.

"You might stand to both gain and lose much, depending on your choice," she answered.

"You're asking us to take a risk," Duach said. "And I suppose either choice will not necessarily be good?"

"That depends much on you and your brothers, my lord," she answered.

"You are a mystery indeed… But I dislike taking chances on mysteries," Caleb said, frowning.

"Give her asylum," Lars suddenly said, not meeting her eyes. "Give her asylum and ensure she is treated well and given what she desires."

"Why should we?" Duach demanded.

Lars paused in his eating, looking up and straight ahead. Finally he turned to his sibling. "I can give you no answer," he replied. He turned to Jürgen. "Where's the library here? Or the archives? I feel like brushing up on the history of this island."

"Ever the historian," Jürgen said with a sigh. He wrote down a set of directions on a paper and gave them to Lars. Lars took it and nodded before turning to Caleb. "May I be excused?"

"Go on," Moren replied, dismissing him. Lars bowed and turned, walking away to find the archives.

Moren turned to the girl. "If Mael suggests we allow it, then we'll allow it. But be wary where you tread and who you cross. We aren't men to be underestimated, if there is any maliciousness in your intent."

"Of course not, your majesty," the girl replied, bowing her head. "I will be eternally grateful for this."

"Eternity is a long time," Rhun said seriously, eying her warily. She just smiled blamelessly and went back to eating. This didn't sit entirely well with any of them, but if Lars was saying to let her in, they'd trust him. He was the seer, after all. That evening they set sail for the mainland.

Frozen

The ship neared the docks of the mainland of the Southern Isles. Hans stood at the bow, looking towards the foreboding castle snaking along the cliffs and grimaced. It wasn't that he _despised_ them, but in a way he did. Compared to the splendour of Arendelle, the castle of the Southern Isles looked… menacing, was the word. Like it sprang to life from the pages of some dark fantasy. To its credit, though, only a fool would have dared attempt a direct siege on it. It was raining and foggy. _That_ just worked to make the whole scene that much more depressing. He couldn't honestly see one beacon of light in his coming home to… Wait. He squinted through the rain. Was that…? His eyes widened. "Bring me a spyglass!" he called to the men. One quickly hurried to obey, handing it over, and Hans looked through it. He grinned. "It's Elsa!" he exclaimed to the man, who he didn't know from Adam, shoving the spyglass back to him. The man just gave him a confused look and nodded like he knew what the prince was talking about. Well, he sort of did, it was common knowledge the youngest heir had become engaged, but no one knew much more than that. Hans gave the man a look, frowning. "You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?" he asked.

"No sir," the man admitted.

"Figures," Hans replied with a sigh. Gossip surrounding the younger princes wasn't really news around here these days. Not since father had died and Moren had put a stop to the death squads and hands-on tax collecting. After that had ended, no one cared _what_ the youngest ones did in their spare time, as long as they weren't marching on villages or houses and razing them to the ground whilst murdering the inhabitants. He turned to focus on Elsa, who stood on the dock, and felt excitement welling in him. Hmm, there was a beacon of light here after all.

The moment the gangplank was lowered, he was down it and going straight to her. "Elsa, what are you doing here?" he asked, trying desperately to hide how… glad? Was that the word? Trying to hide how… effected he was that she was here.

"I came to surprise you. And your brothers," she answered. "To be totally truthful, I came both for that reason and to start discussing wedding plans. It seems easier to do it in person than through letter. I'd expected you all to be back by now. I sent to Moren that I was coming. I guess I should have waited for a reply before I did."

"I'm sure that won't matter to him. He'll be glad to see you. About the wedding plans, what have you taken care of so far?" Hans asked.

"I…" Elsa began. She trailed off on spotting the person coming down the gangplank. Who was _this_? "Did one of your brothers bring home a new wife?" she asked. Hans looked confused then turned. He tensed. The woman! Greta approached them and stopped behind Hans, putting her hands on his shoulders and curiously looking at Elsa. Elsa started. Well, _that_ was an intimate gesture towards her fiancé. From a more-than-a-little attractive woman who wasn't her. She frowned, looking at Hans who was quickly pulling away from the woman and flushing. "Who's this?" she questioned.

Hans inwardly cursed. "Um, Elsa, this is Greta. Jürgen's land was set on by bandits. They destroyed her home and… had their way with her. She lost everything. My brothers offered to bring her back here and let her stay in the castle until she was set up in town. She-she's a writer too!" he stammered.

"Pleased to meet you, Queen Elsa," the woman said, smiling at her. Elsa bristled slightly, unsure what to think of this woman. She wasn't about to come across as the villain here, though, and so she smiled back, willing it not to come across as cold, and offered her hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Greta," Elsa said. Greta took her hand and shook.

"You have quite the man here, your Majesty," Greta said, giving Hans a side hug which had him tensing up and grinning slightly guiltily at Elsa as he disentangled himself from her and stepped away. "He was the one who found me naked in my house. He gave me his jacket and brought me back to the ship to be taken care of. He even agreed to stay and watch me bathe after I had a panic attack."

"What?!" Elsa demanded, starting and shooting an appalled look at Hans.

"Abigail was there too!" he blurted without thinking.

"Who's Abigail?!" Elsa demanded. Hans cursed himself a million times.

"Can we talk about this later?" he hissed to her.

"If there's nothing to hide we can talk about it now," she replied.

Hans inwardly groaned. "Abigail is Jürgen's wife," he replied. "That's the secret I mentioned to you in my last letter that he'd been keeping. He's also the father of five, apparently. We hadn't even known about any of them until we ended up on his island. She was the one who took care of Greta. When Greta had a panic attack, flashbacks of what happened to her I'm guessing, she needed help to calm her and we tried to help but she'd only be calmed by me. I stayed there at her and Abigail's bequest to make sure she didn't freak out again."

"He was wonderful, Elsa. We spoke for hours and hours about anything and everything late into the night. Writing, books we'd read, places we'd travelled to. I felt so totally at ease and safe with him near. It wasn't anything bad. We even shared stories with one another and put Jürgen's children to bed, singing to them and telling them tales," Greta said, gently trailing a finger on his chest. Hans, meanwhile, was burying his face in his hands and shaking his head, embarrassed. This couldn't be happening right now. "You're so lucky."

"I know," Elsa replied. Hans looked up, shocked. What now? He'd expected yelling or anger, but this? She was actually _smiling_? She moved up to him, linking her arm though his and resting her head on his shoulder as she pulled him firmly from Greta. "He's a better man than he gives himself credit for. A better man than _most_ give him credit for, and I'm honored to be marrying him."

"Honored or glad?" Greta asked, looking a little put out at Elsa's reaction.

Elsa smiled lazily and looked up at Hans before placing a lingering kiss on his jaw line that had him blushing about a dozen different shades _again_. She turned back to Greta, a sort of challenging yet still cordial glint in her eyes, and replied, "What do you think?"

"I think, Queen Elsa, that this may be a marriage of convenience," Greta answered.

"Mmm, think what you will. I'm glad to have him," Elsa replied, taking Hans's hand and pulling him away from the other woman.

"I wonder how many of your words are lies and how many are truth, Queen Elsa!" Greta called sharply after her. "I'll bet you don't even known him as well as you think. Or have shared a conversation more than a few minutes long with one another."

Hans winced, feeling Elsa's grip on his hand tighten. He frowned and paused, turning. "Enough, Greta. I made it clear to you where we stood. I won't have you antagonizing my fiancé! I enjoy our conversations together, that much is true, but I won't watch you try and worm your way between us! You're our guest now. You'll obey our rules," he said.

"Don't be so hard on her, Hans. She's been through something very, very horrible. You can't blame her for imprinting on you. Go easy on her. Besides, it makes me happy to know you're desired by others. It reminds me of how fortunate I am and how others are starting to see you for you, these days," she said.

"You're exaggerating, my lady, and we both know it," he ruefully replied. Really, really exaggerating.

She smiled apologetically. "Maybe to a degree… But not everything I've said is false," she answered. He smiled amusedly at her and nodded. He turned back to Greta, giving her a last warning glare, then moved towards the palace with Elsa close at his side.

Frozen

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Abigail," Elsa said as she was introduced to Jürgen's wife. It was kind of a meet the family day for her today. And would be all the while she was here. A pity Hans's other sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews weren't here as well. She'd like to meet _them_ as well. Maybe someday she would. She'd have to given she would soon be part of the family.

"The honor is mine, my lady," Abigail said in awe, curtsying to her.

"You don't need to do that," Elsa said.

"Yes my lady," Abigail replied, standing up again. "So you're the woman Hans is engaged to. He's a good man. And brave. He ran into a burning building to try and save my children. We honestly thought he'd died in there." Elsa started, smile falling to surprise. What now? It must have to do with the raiders. She looked concernedly at Hans, who was in conversation with his brothers. "When he walked out from the flames like they'd never touched him… It was nothing short of miraculous. The inferno blazed with such an immense heat the others couldn't even get near to it to try and reach him."

Elsa frowned. That was… weird. "Really?" she asked.

"Just one of those things I guess," Abigail said, shrugging.

"Yeah. Maybe," Elsa said, looking curiously towards Hans.

"So you're busy planning your wedding, are you?" Abigail asked.

Elsa smiled. "I am. In fact I was just about to steal Hans away from his brothers to discuss them," she answered.

"I won't keep you from it, my lady," Abigail replied, smiling. "You've met my children?"

"Jürgen introduced us. They're beautiful. And so well behaved. My sister is planning on getting pregnant, actually," Elsa said.

"Oh that's wonderful, Queen Elsa!" Abigail said. "I wish her luck."

"I do too," Elsa said, grinning. "We'll speak later, Abigail."

"Abby, please," she said, grinning.

"Abby," Elsa replied, smiling. Bowing her head to the woman, she went to collect Hans. "Hey," she said, coming up next to him. He looked curiously over at her. "Ready to start discussing some plans?"

Hans smiled at her. "I am," he answered.

"And I want to know about this fire you miraculously escaped," she said, frowning seriously at him. He stiffened then cringed, innocently grinning and shrugging before letting her lead him away.

Frozen

"In regards to the wedding I've decided on the dress I'll craft for myself, as well as where it will take place and the type of catering that will happen," Elsa said as she sat with Hans discussing plans. "I wanted to wait until I was with you to discuss the décor."

"Everything as you would have it, Elsa. Although if I'm to be honest, I loved the way you customized your throne room with your powers when the suitors came through. I had hoped you would do something similar for your wedding, but it's _your_ special day," he said.

"Ours," she corrected.

He smiled. "I've never been one for big ceremonies," he admitted, though he doubted she was either. "What you do to it is entirely up to you."

"You can't leave every decision to me, Hans," she replied, smiling. "You certainly can't after we're married."

"True," he relented. "Alright… I think red and black would contrast the white of the snow and ice beautifully. Of course any color could, so perhaps that won't be best. It depends on if the room will be mostly snow or mostly ice."

"Ice, I think. It catches the light so beautifully," she said.

"Then all the color we need will be in its shimmer," Hans said. "Banners of both Arendelle and the Southern Isles should be set up to signify the union between our lands."

"I agree. On your side of the banquet room will be the guests of the Isles and their allies, on mine the guests of Arendelle and its own. When dancing comes, allow their intermingling," Elsa said.

"I like the symbolism in it, the uniting of two countries," he replied. "It should be a sombre and serious ceremony, then be contrasted with the merriment of the reception to show we're not all horrible and grim."

"So a ceremony reflecting the Southern Isles and a reception reflecting Arendelle?" she teased.

"I wish you weren't as right as you are," he answered, grinning. "What sort of cake will it be?"

"Chocolate," Elsa answered, smirking wickedly.

He laughed. "I think chocolate may be your first love," he said.

"You can never have enough chocolate," she said with a grin.

"Alright, chocolate it is," Hans said, turning back to the plans and writing it down. He noticed her sudden silence then frowned, turning to her. "Elsa?" he asked.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, just… thinking," she said.

He frowned then sighed, putting down the quill. "About Greta?" he asked. She flushed slightly, glancing away. "You don't have to be shy about it, Elsa. Your reaction was totally understandable."

"What did you two talk about?" she asked.

"Prose, mainly, and the topics we liked writing. We spoke about books we've both read and about some philosophy. We discussed writing tips then got into discussion about our travels and the lands we've both seen and the lands one of us has seen where the other hasn't," he replied.

"It seems she has all your same interests," Elsa remarked.

"A few, maybe. Well, most. All," Hans replied. Elsa nodded. He watched her quietly. "Do you feel like she knows me better than you?" he asked.

"No," she answered. "I know very well there are things you've told me that you've never told anyone else. And never will. I just… I don't know. It's silly."

"It isn't. You have every right to feel a little miffed at her," Hans said.

She smiled ruefully at him. "I just…" she began.

"Hans, Elsa," a voice said. Elsa's smile vanished. Greta had entered the room. She willed down the stab of anger that shot through her and turned with Hans.

"Greta, what is it?" Hans asked. "Do you need something?"

"I need to steal you both away, actually. Individually. I owe the queen an apology, I think, and you as well," she said

Elsa exchanged curious looks with Hans then turned back. "If that's what you want," Elsa replied, a little confused.

"It is. I should start with you, my queen," she replied.

"Okay?" Elsa replied. She rose from the chair and went after Greta, following the woman out of the study.

Frozen

Greta turned to her. "I want to say I'm sorry. Sorry for the way I acted on the docks," she said.

"It's alright," Elsa said. "I felt a little insulted, is all. I might have gotten a bit petty too."

"It's my fault," she said. "But Hans… he's just so amazing and we had so much in common… It felt like we were perfect for each other. Made for one another. Do you know how that feels?" Elsa shifted and glanced away. No, she inwardly admitted. She didn't. "Oh you must. You chose him, after all, so surely you felt it. Felt that he was the one. Felt like he would be your forever love and that you just connected so, so perfectly… It was a feeling I once believed could only happen once in a lifetime, and that if you threw away that chance you'd never find it again… Then I realized that _can't_ be true, because if it was then you wouldn't have felt it with _him_. I would have felt if for him and he would have felt it for me and that would be the end, but you felt it for him too so I know… I know it can't be true… Maybe one day I'll find a connection this special again."

Elsa disliked the guilty feeling twisting in her stomach. No, she _hadn't_ felt like he was the one. She believed he was the never-in-a-million-years-in-this-world-or-any-other. No, she didn't even believe _now_ that he would be her forever love. Or any love at all. He would be her husband and that would be the end of it because she would never love anyone nor did she want to. No they hadn't had this 'connection' Greta was talking about. At all. They'd bonded but never connected. Had they? She hadn't and never _would_ feel the feeling the other woman was describing to her because she wanted none of it. A horrible thought flitted across her mind. Was she wicked to do this? To take him from her? If there really had been a connection that close, if that part of the fairy tales was true and you really did feel a bond like that with your soul mate… She didn't want to feel like she'd stolen that from another woman just so she could shut up her council. She'd never believed in a special connection or some other stupid thing sparking and binding you eternally to someone. Was that only because she'd never felt it? What if it was real, like Greta was describing? What if something like that _did_ exist and wasn't just an illusion? But what if it didn't and this was just talk? Someone's wild fantasy based in lust and idealism rather than love and reality? Again, though, the question of what if it wasn't? _Her_ marriage to him was one of convenience. It would always be.

 _No. You're lying to yourself and you know it. How dare you lie to yourself now?_

If she let him go, let him be with Greta, then at least _they_ would be happy.

 _But_ _ **you**_ _wouldn't be, because as much as you deny it your feelings for him are far more than convenience or intimate friendship._

"I… Thank you, Greta," she finally managed to reply. "I'm sure you'll find happiness one day."

"I hope so… At least now I know it isn't a once in a lifetime chance," Greta answered. Elsa winced.

 _What if it was?_

The queen smiled at the other woman and turned, entering the study again more than a little uneasy… And questioning things more than a little now… "Your turn," she said to Hans. He frowned concernedly on noticing her distraction, but decided not to ask right now. They could talk later. He nodded, smiling reassuringly at her, then rose and went to meet Greta. She watched after him, shifted, debated whether to listen in on their conversation, but found herself at a loss as to an answer.

Frozen

"Greta," Hans greeted, closing the door behind him.

"My lord," she replied, curtseying.

"You don't need to do that for me," Hans said, shaking his head. She nodded, rising. "What do you have to say?" he asked.

"I wanted to apologize for what I did at the docks," she replied. "How I acted… I just felt… I felt like we really had something between us. Something special and unique and-and perfect… Like in your story the Steadfast Tin Soldier, when he fell in love with the ballerina because in his heart he just knew she was the one."

"That story was heavy in symbolism. Love at first sight is a lie," Hans said. "It works in fantasy, but very rarely in real life."

"Are you so sure?" she questioned. His jaw twitched. "You felt something too. I know it," she said. "I just thought… I thought that maybe you were jumping into this too quickly? That maybe you hadn't thought it through and that you were just agreeing to marry her for the sake of the Southern Isles. I thought it was a marriage of convenience." Hans shifted. It was, he inwardly answered. At least to Elsa… Oh this was getting awkward fast… "I didn't know it was love," she said.

"I… Yes. Love. Yeah… That's what it is," he said.

She frowned at him. "You don't seem sure," she hopefully replied.

"I am!" he quickly answered. "I mean… I am."

She was quiet. "Do you love her, Hans? Truly?" she asked.

"I… Love is a lie," he finally settled on saying. "An illusion."

"Then every emotion must be an illusion," she answered. "The way you look at her and she looks at you…"

"Can we change the subject?" he quickly asked, not wanting to pursue this anymore. He couldn't recall ever looking at her in a way that screamed love, or vice versa.

 _Oh can't you?_

"No we can't, because this is important to help me let go. To help me see this is more than lust or convenience and that it's just two people who love each other," she answered.

 _One… One person who loved another who would have no part of it… God he was selfish, if that was truly the case…_

"When we met, when we talked all those hours… It felt right. Comfortable. Like a dream. A perfect dream… But perfection doesn't exist, does it?" she asked.

"I… No…" Hans answered, shifting. "Illusions of it, maybe."

"I thought that maybe illusion could be enough… To be at your side talking about our lives and travels, to be at your side while we tucked the little ones into bed…" she began.

"Enough, Greta! I understand, okay, I do. Our hearts love to play games with us. It's not like it's rare to feel you've found the one only to realize they aren't. I'm sorry that I gave you that impression, that I'm hurting you, but it's how it is," he said.

"I know… I bet you and her both felt just the same as I did to speak to you. Like everything had fallen into place and you were destined for one another," she said.

"You're speaking in the fantasies of a girl, not the practicality of a woman," Hans cut off. "Love doesn't work like that, Greta. Never. Or rarely. Very, very rarely. Love isn't something that just happens, okay? Love is something you have to work for and fight for. That's what makes it rewarding in the end, that's what makes it strong and enduring. If the pieces just fall into place, you're doing something wrong. Maybe it'll work out, sure, but it won't ever feel like it would have otherwise. Personally I find working for something much more rewarding. You're forgiven for your actions. Now if you'll excuse me, I have wedding plans to discuss with my fiancé." Turning, he quickly entered the study again.

 _What if Elsa learns to love another one day? What then? What will you do?_

 _I'll let her go! This whole wedding is just a show in the end._

 _Is it?_

 _Yes! …To her…_

 _But to you?_

Hans shook his head, grimacing. He had to stop thinking, he decided. He smiled towards Elsa, who seemed lost in thought. She caught his look and smiled gently back. "Now, where were we?" he asked. She laughed lightly and turned back to the plans.


	7. Hand in Hand we Leap

Hand in Hand we Leap

Kristoff jerked awake with a terrified cry, sitting bolt upright in bed. "What? What happened? What's going on?!" Anna immediately demanded, groggily fighting to wake up in case something bad was happening. Kristoff was silent, fighting to catch his breath. "Kristoff?" Anna questioned, looking at her husband worriedly. "Kristoff, what happened?"

"I-I... It... It was nothing, just-just a bad dream. A horrible, terrible dream," Kristoff replied.

"What was it about?" Anna questioned concernedly.

"It... It was about her. The Ice Maiden I told you about. She just... She seemed so real. I-I could feel her icy breath and her icy kiss," he answered in a whisper, seeming terrified.

Anna was quiet. "It was just a dream," she soon tried to reassure, leaning against him and wrapping her arms around his body. "You're safe here. With me."

"I-I know... It just... It felt so real. Like... Like some weird premonition. Like... Like she's back," he answered. "Watching. Or hearing. Someone, not me, but... maybe? It's... It felt like a warning."

Anna was quiet. "She won't take you away from me," she said seriously, setting her jaw. No way no how. That Ice Maiden wasn't getting her husband.

"I know," he answered. "But it isn't me I'm concerned about," he answered.

"It's okay," she promised. "Lay back down." Kristoff nodded, lying back. Anna moved to lay on top of him. Gently she kissed his jaw then settled against his body. He held her close, staring up at the roof. A dark feeling was coming over him, and he didn't like it.

Frozen

Elsa watched silently from a window as Hans and Greta talked to one another in the garden, discussing various books. She could have sworn she heard them quoting lines from Shakespeare and felt her stomach twist. She hadn't read much Shakespeare… As she heard them talk, flitting from one book topic to another, she began to feel like she'd read a lot less than she thought she did. Greta seemed so happy, and he… he looked so at ease… Writing, poetry, travel, books, philosophy. Was there any subject they didn't touch?

 _She's perfect for him. On all levels. More than you could ever be._

Look at them… They were so totally at ease with one another. So content in each other's company, and her… What was she doing pining like a jealous schoolgirl? It wasn't as if she… Oh god, who was she even trying to _trick_? Herself? She supposed that if she was, it would be less painful in the end… In the end when he chose his feminine counterpart over her…

How many times, she wondered, had she told herself she wasn't jealous? The truth of the matter was that the more often she saw them together the more jealous she _got_. She was very, very jealous. It felt like her jealousy was scalding her. Hans and Greta had shared so many thoughts and experiences with one another and had bonded and related over them. There were so many parallels and she could relate so well to him. It _was_ like they were made for one another.

 _Does he even love you anymore? Did he ever? He never said it… Never… Maybe in the end_ _ **you're**_ _the one with the schoolgirl fantasies and disillusions…_

She was getting so close to him, Elsa noted. She straightened up. She was going to go for a kiss! She knew the signs. She gasped, quickly getting out of sight to watch what would happen. Did she _want_ to see? He was looking away from her, talking about something. She was so close… Elsa closed her eyes tightly, clenching her teeth, then opened them again. It took all her will to look again. He turned back to face her. She moved. Their lips met and… Elsa threw the curtains shut, closing her eyes tightly and willing back the tears. She sobbed, sinking to her knees and wishing that sight hadn't hurt as much as it did. Part of her screamed to get back up and look again, to not assume the worst until she saw Hans's reaction to the surprise kiss… She couldn't find it in her to do so. She gasped, staggering up, then turned and ran from the room. She needed to go for a ride. Goodness knew the Southern Isles were a beautiful land to ride through. Maybe it would help her clear her head. Then she could face this situation with a clear mind.

Frozen

The second her lips touched his, Hans leapt back. "Enough!" he sharply snapped. In fact it was borderline vicious. "Dammit I told you where we stood! Simply because we get into a conversation doesn't mean I'm looking for you to kiss me! I'm engaged, Greta, goddamn you!" He bit his tongue when he saw the tears welling in her eyes. He took a breath, trying to calm down. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry… I just… You can't keep doing this. I've made our relationship clear to you. I'm sorry for snapping, it's just… I don't want you to get your hopes up. I don't want to hurt you more than I have already."

 _That, but also the day I trust any of this is the day pigs fly. What can I say? I don't believe in perfection._

"I know… I'm sorry," she replied, bowing her head.

"Maybe we should take a break for a bit," he said.

"I understand," she replied, wiping her eyes. He nodded and turned, quickly moving away from her.

 _Something isn't right…_

He left the garden near the stables and looked up. He froze, eyes widening. Elsa was riding away in the distance on her ice mare. What on earth? He hurried to the stable master. "Where is the queen going?" he questioned immediately.

"She said she needed to take a ride to clear her head," he answered. "Something upset her very deeply. I'm not sure what it was. She was near tears, though."

"What?" Hans asked. "Wait a minute…" His eyes widened. Her room was right above the garden! "Oh damn. Damn, damn, _damn_!" he exclaimed. He raced to Sitron and led him out of the stable. Why was he such an idiot, he demanded of himself? Could a man _get_ stupider than him, he half-wondered?

"My lord…!" the stable master began.

"I'll be back soon, don't worry," Hans assured, galloping away. Dammit, dammit, _dammit_. He had to clear this up as soon as possible. Or try. Frankly he believed nothing he said or did at this point would make anything better.

Frozen

Elsa rode in the woods silently, head hung. She let the horse go wherever it pleased. She didn't care anymore. It would find its way back to the palace in a while. She just needed to sort things out. She regretted, now, not waiting to see how Hans reacted to the surprise kiss, but at the same time if he had let her linger… But then what did that matter to her? There was no love. Dammit, she kept _telling_ herself that and it never made it seem as true as she wished it was. What good was it doing lying to herself anymore anyway? She looked ahead again. "I think I love him," she finally said quietly. It wasn't as if anyone could hear her. "I love him…" she repeated, looking down again. But _he_ didn't love _her_. If he did why would he put himself in such a compromising position? He knew how that girl felt about him. Why would he go somewhere alone with her if he didn't guess at exactly what would happen? It wasn't like he was the blindly trusting type!

She shook her head. She and him were intimate friends, no more no less… So maybe it was best to let him go to Greta… But memories of his embrace, of the kisses he had dropped upon her before he'd sailed to war… She shook her head, trying not to think about it. "The young Queen is so very troubled," a voice sang. She stopped, looking around.

"Who said that?" she asked.

"She does not believe her young man cares for her," another sang.

"Oh poor queen, do you really not know or see?" a third sang as figures of light began to float and flit about her head, dancing in the beams of the setting sun. She watched them in awe. What were they? They seemed almost like daughters of the sun, if that made any sense.

"What are you talking about?" she asked them.

"She believes he feels no love for her. She tries to say she doesn't love him, but _we've_ heard her confession," a fourth sang, giggling. Elsa flushed deeply.

"Oh young queen, why do you doubt the Admiral? Do you really not know?" a fifth sang.

"Know what? What don't I know?!" Elsa demanded.

"That the young prince of the Southern Isles, Hans Westergaard, loves you just the same. He believes _you_ do not love him," a sixth sang.

"What? What are you saying? What do you mean?!" Elsa demanded.

"He loves you, he loves you," the daughters all cheered together, dancing in the air around her. "Hans Westergaard loves Elsa of Arendelle! He won't admit it, though, but we know. He has confessed too." One by one they began to disappear as the sun disappeared.

"No, wait, don't go! Wait!" Elsa called after them, but as the last of them faded away, all that remained were the dying echoes of their laughter and song. She was left shocked and shaken. "That… that can't be. If he loves me then why…?" she began before trailing off. Because he didn't believe she loved _him_ , she remembered. At least that was what the sunbeams had said. She found herself blushing deeper than she wanted to. Entities such as those weren't always truthful, she told herself. Of course that may have just been her own personal comfort. Still… maybe she should go back and just talk to him. He was right. Running seemed to be too much her de facto response when things were getting emotionally painful for her. She needed to stop that. She breathed a sigh and looked at where the sunbeams had been. Uneasily she shifted. She didn't like how much a weakness to her Hans was becoming… Maybe she was letting him get too close? Oh who was she kidding? She already had long ago. No more excuses.

Frozen

Shaking her head, she turned her horse to ride back. "Queen Elsa!" she heard Hans call.

She stopped. He had come after her? How had he known she had ridden away? He must have seen her going. "I'm over here, Prince Hans!" she called back.

He rode into sight and stopped on seeing her and how tired and disappointed she looked. "Elsa, whatever you saw…" he began.

"Don't give me excuses," she said.

"No, I won't! No excuses, I promise! It's not like I could deny it if I _wanted_ to. I just… I just wanted to tell you that I pushed her away," he replied. "Immediately. I didn't let it continue. I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry you…"

"I believe you," she answered.

"Really? Because I didn't think I was sounding that convincing," he lamely replied, though she saw a visible sign of relief in the way he relaxed a little bit and perked slightly up.

"You weren't," she deadpanned. "But I believe you." Why she didn't know, she just did. "Just I'm sick and tired of… Never mind."

"Of seeing me with her?" he offered gently.

"No, no, it isn't that. It's just… It's just oh I don't know," she replied.

"Yes you do. You're don't like how much time I spend with her. Just say it," he said.

"I can't say it because then I come across as the jealous clingy woman who can't stand her lover speaking to another girl, and then I end up being the villain and the one everyone thinks is just overreacting, and then…" she began.

"Elsa, you don't have to feel guilty about feeling like you that. You have every right to be hurt and jealous. I _have_ been spending too much time with her. Far more than any engaged man should be spending with _any_ woman who isn't his fiancé. I'm _glad_ you want to put your foot down. Left unchecked, things like this can become far worse than casual conversation," he said.

"What, you don't trust yourself around her?!" Elsa immediately demanded, cursing the shot of jealousy that spiked through her whole body.

"No, no, I trust myself, mostly. It's her I'm not sure about," Hans replied.

"You have any idea how pretentious that sounds?" she asked, smirking ever so slightly as she teased him.

"What can I say? She wants me," he replied, smiling back and feeling a bit more at ease. He became serious again. "You're not the villain for wanting me to stop spending time with her, you aren't."

"Hans, I _don't_ want you to completely stop spending time with her if you don't want to! I wouldn't keep you from your friend like that. Just… just cut back. A lot. Like most of the time you're spending with her now? Stop it…" she replied. "It's just… She seems like she's so much like you. Your interests, your hobbies. She seems to understand you so well and get along with you amazingly and she just… It's like she's perfect for you!"

"I've always been skeptical of perfection," Hans replied, riding up alongside Elsa and taking one of her hands in one of his. She smiled up at him uncertainly. "Which was a lesson your sister should have learned long ago," he added. She started then scowled, shooting an ice spike at him. He laughed, dodging it, then took off at a gallop.

"That's right, run you coward!" she furiously yelled after him, taking off in pursuit. "How dare you bring that up?! Hans!" He galloped away from her as quickly as he could grinning widely. Her ice mare was keeping up well. He dodged another ice attack and turned sharply to the side. She followed quickly, racing with him through the wooded area. Soon anger turned to laughter as she pursued him, and their horses ended up nearly side by side as they raced under the moonlight.

Frozen

When the horses, specifically Sitron, had tired, they had come to a stop, tying the steeds to a fallen log and going to rest in a clearing. They had spoken for some hours now. Not about anything in particular, just subject to subject as they came. He had told her stories and she had listened closely, taking in each word, sometimes smiling and laughing, sometimes feeling sad if a story was particularly depressing. Now they were laying side by side in the grass looking up at the night sky. Fireflies dancing in the trees, the stars twinkling above and the moon… It was beautiful…

"What do you see in her?" Elsa asked suddenly.

"Honestly? Nothing," he answered. "Skeptical of perfection, remember? Nothing should just fall into place like a perfectly laid out puzzle. There's no excitement or challenge in that."

"Does everything need to be exciting or challenging?" Elsa asked. "I think… I think she loves you…"

"She lusts after me," he answered.

"I don't know… The way she spoke of you when she was apologizing to me…" Elsa began, rolling to face him. She trailed off. "It just… I actually started to feel guilty."

"How she talked about me isn't important now. It doesn't matter. What matters is me and you," he replied, rolling onto his side to face her as well. "I'm not fan of causing her any hurt, but she isn't the one I'm engaged to; and I don't _intend_ to engage myself to her either. I can't even look at myself in a mirror. How do you think I'd handle a female counterpart? I'd end up hating her in a week."

"Don't talk like that," Elsa chastised, frowning worriedly at him. "When you were cruel you hated and hid from yourself… I wish you would stop seeing the wicked prince and start seeing what he became."

He looked upwards again, taking in her words. "I wish I could," he finally replied. "But it will always be there… It scares me… More than anything… You don't know all I've done. All I was capable of and still am."

She reached out and gently brushed his hand with hers. He turned to her curiously. "Don't be afraid," she said. "I can help make you not afraid."

He smiled ruefully. "I don't think you can," he replied. "I don't think _anyone_ can."

"You need to stop giving up," she remarked.

"I know," he answered. "But every time I…"

"Every time you look at me," she quietly said, suddenly very interested in the ground. "You said to me, when I chose you to be my suitor, not to choose you if it would only bring me pain…" She looked at him. "Now let me say the same to you… Don't go through with this if every time you look at me it will only bring you regret and pain."

"Nothing in life worth having comes easy or without cost," he answered. "I'll take the bad with the good. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Hans, there's only so much bad that the good can outweigh," she said. "If it's because of me that you can't bring yourself to look into a mirror…"

"Long before you or Anna or Arendelle came into my life I couldn't," he said seriously. "I choose to take this chance. Do you?"

"If it hurts you…" she began.

"That wasn't my question," he said.

She looked at him, slowly sitting up. Quietly she summed the prince up as he sat as well. "Do you know that this road we walk together will have no end? That once we've started down it… Once we've started down it there might not be a chance to go back…?" she asked.

"Are you having second thoughts, Elsa?" he asked.

"No. I just… It's such a big step. So much is at risk. Our hearts, our minds, every part of us we've hid from for so long…" she said.

He reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hand in hand we will leap, neither of us knowing where it will lead us or if it will be alright," he said. He looked towards the lake. She followed his gaze. "But I'm willing to try. Take that leap of faith with me. Please," he said, turning to her. He stood, offering his hand. "We _are_ the strings that hold us back from this. Break them with me." She caught on to his meaning and looked at him in vague surprise before smiling. Wordlessly she reached up and took his hand. He smiled, pulling her to her feet. Turning towards the lake, he repeated, "Hand in hand we leap, neither of us knowing where this road will take us."

"But better to try than to always wonder," she answered. He gave her an affectionate look out the corner of his eye then focused on the jump. Immediately the two of them ran towards the ledge above the water breathlessly. They reached it and leapt as far out as they could, splashing down into the water and sinking beneath its depths before resurfacing together and laughing, exhilarated by the jump and rejuvenated by the fresh water. She grinned and splashed him. He grinned back, splashing her in turn until it turned into a splashing fight that must have seemed so childish. But they were the only ones to witness it. What did _they_ care?

All at once they found themselves in each other's arms, treading the water and smiling gently before their smiles became more serious expressions. They were so close, they suddenly noted. Would it hurt to kiss again? Their lips were so near… Suddenly, though, they both paused and drew back, flushing deeply. Maybe coming here unchaperoned had been a mistake. "We-we should get back to the castle," Hans finally said, quickly swimming towards shore. She stayed still a moment then followed in silent agreement.

 _It's dangerous to be so near to him…_ _ **Too**_ _dangerous…_

Frozen

The Ice Maiden flew in the arms of her parent, of Air, to the hideaway of the Troll King. He had switched his dwelling, as he often did, and now hid in one of the cavernous cave systems of the Southern Isles. There he could keep a closer eye on all that was unfolding. She entered the cave silently and went straight to the cavern in which he had placed the mirror. She peered in at it and approached in silence. Reaching out, she placed her hand on the glass. It had been built up a fair bit since that fateful bargain she'd made over a decade ago. She had worked well. It had gone from one little corner to spreading across the bottom of the mirror and higher even still.

Her jaw twitched. The work of her promiscuity, she dryly noted to herself. How many men had she spread her legs for to get it to as it was now? How many men had she let into her body at the foot of this damnable creation while the hobgoblin forced her beloved to watch his dear one turn herself into a whore? She saw him now. He didn't turn to her. He hadn't for a very long time. Sometime around the fiftieth conquest or so, Vertigo had stopped being able to bring himself to look at her. Or speak with her… When his pleas went unheard or ignored, he'd stopped speaking to her in the voice the hobgoblin had allowed her to continue hearing. Now it was as if that mercy had never been shown at all.

Gently she fingered his image. "Look at me," she said to the reflection. He stirred slightly so she knew he heard. "Look at me," she repeated again. He didn't. Of course not. "Look at me, damn you!" she screamed at the reflection, punching the mirror violently with both her fists. It wouldn't shatter, of course. If only it had never shattered all those years ago too. "I do this for you! Don't you see? I do this for you! I do this for you," she said. No response. Not even a glance. She sobbed, sinking down against the mirror. "I did this for you," she said again in a whimper. She sniffed, wishing so badly that she had never done all she had.

She could feel his presence and slowly looked up, tears shining in her eyes. He was looking at her, his hand against the glass he was trapped within. She could see in his countenance how desperately he wanted to touch her, comfort her, just be with her. She swallowed and placed her hand against his own, resting her forehead on the mirror. He rested his own there as well. When she opened her eyes he was gone. She saw only herself and suddenly felt so very empty…

Her eyes narrowed and she rose, composing herself regally. There had to be a way… The young prince Hans… He was different than the others had been. Carabis had told her how he had come to have the shards embedded in his body. Such a tale it had been… Maybe the answer was there. She tilted her head, considering the mirror. The essence of Vertigo still existed in the world. Was there then a way to transfer that essence into another form? A form that was free of the prison of the mirror.

 _The prince._

A form he could retreat into if there was a link between the mirror and said form.

 _The prince._

A body he could possess…

 _The prince._

Slowly a cruel smile began to part her lips. The link could not be one made in chaos, but the prince was different than so many others had been. The tie between him and this mirror… Carabis desired to have him alive. It had to do with some ancient curse on his family. He wanted Hans as the vassal for that curse. But if she could use the young man as a vassal for her _own_ purposes, then she would be twice victorious. She would have defied the hobgoblin, freed her love, and on top of it she would have taken away any chance the wicked troll had of making the young prince follow in the footsteps of the bear!

She frowned. But how to do it? He would need to come willingly. Not only willingly, but he would need to let the mirror consume him. He would need to let himself become the wicked prince again. Then the connection would be at its strongest. Hans was not like her. Hans was only mortal. The magic affected him not like it affected her. He would become the mirror as it was meant to be and not as he'd made it! Then Vertigo could crawl his way into the shards contained in the prince's heart and mind and take over. Kill off the man, become his life-force. Protected in a mortal shell. Free of the mirror… But to do that, she had to break the last string that held him to humanity. She had to be rid of Elsa. Maybe not by killing her, but her relationship with the prince couldn't be allowed to continue. When she was out of his life, he would be open for the taking. Oh yes. This time she needed to do more than seduce. She needed to make him hers. Her servant, as she had become Carabis's servant. She needed to bind him to her and cast away from him the Snow Queen. Yes… She would make him hers! She darkly giggled. It was all coming together. Soon Carabis would regret betraying her.

"My love, I do believe I've found a way to fix this," she said to the mirror and its prisoner. She heard him, then, for the first time in so long, darkly chuckle in her mind. He knew too. She grinned then swiftly left. She had work to do.

Frozen

Moren sat on the throne holding court. He was almost finished, thank goodness. One more plea to hear and then he stop for the night. He looked up as the doors to the throne room closed and started. The girl! "Greta?" he asked curiously. "What is it? Have you been treated well by my brothers and the palace servants?"

"No, your majesty," she answered, bowing her head. "One brother has hurt me most grievously."

"What?" he asked, his skin bristling to hear those words. What did she mean? "In what way have you been harmed? By who?"

"The youngest. The young Admiral. Hans. He is the one who has hurt me most grievously," she said.

"Hans? In what sense?" Moren asked.

"He is cruel to me, your majesty. How I long for him… And yet always he shoves me away," she said.

Moren breathed a sigh of relief. Then it wasn't as bad as he'd feared. "I'm sorry that you have come to feel so strongly for him, that being here feels so cruel, especially when he shuts himself off to you, but you must understand that he is engaged," Moren replied. "Maybe if your paths had crossed sooner it would have been different, but they didn't and so it is as it is. I wish I could help you, but I can't. Not with this. Arendelle is too valuable an ally to break ties with."

"A valuable ally, hmm? Did it occur to you there might be an ally stronger still?" the girl asked, and Moren tensed slightly, sitting up. That… was a markedly different tone from what he was used to. Unsettlingly so.

"Greta?" the king asked.

"I have another grievance, sir," she said.

"Against whom?" Moren asked.

"A promise was made to me once," she answered, avoiding the question.

Now he _knew_ something was wrong. Quickly Caleb rose from the throne, looking down at her. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"It was made by someone who took something precious from me… A promise I now want to see fulfilled. I _will_ see it fulfilled, King Caleb," she said.

This… this was _not_ the mysterious woman he had thought he had come to know. "What promise? Who are you?" Caleb demanded.

 ** _What_** _are you?_

Caleb started at the inner voice that had asked such a question, paling. Where had ' _what_ are you' come from? The young woman chuckled and began to approach him, lightly drawing her hand across some décor. In horror and disbelief Caleb watched as ice began creeping through it. Suddenly there was a very cool chill in the air… "You're a sorceress," he realized in growing dread.

"No. Nothing as plain as that," she answered.

"Greta…" he began.

Again she looked at him. "Don't call me that again," she warned. It is not my name. I have no name you are allowed to speak. What you will call me is Ice Maiden. That is who and what I am! I am the Queen of the Glaciers. I rule the tundra and icy plains and mountains. I rule the Sami and other such minority native peoples of many other lands of ice and cold. They're all at my mercy, you know. They all owe allegiance to me, you see. Whether they know it or not."

"Guards!" Caleb called out.

"They won't come, Caleb… They're pretty little statues about now. And will stay that way until I have my say," she said. "In fact, by now your brothers should all be frozen too. Really you don't have much choice in things anymore, do you?"

Frozen

Moren looked at her in stunned shock. Suddenly he attempted to lunge but was knocked back by a sudden icy wind, falling onto his throne. What on earth?! He looked sharply at her in disbelief and gasped as suddenly icy shackles sprang up, trapping his wrists on the armrests of his throne. Slowly he looked up at her. He almost wanted to demand answers, but what question could he ask? She had told him what and who she was already. The Ice Maiden… Why had they never heard of this 'Ice Maiden' before? He got the sinking feeling that any question he had would be answered soon enough, or most of them.

"Let them go," he said flatly, pale.

"Oh I'll release them soon enough. Ah, but you wished to hear about the promise I was given that I wish to see fulfilled. It has to do with a very wicked troll, a very wicked mirror, and a very wicked curse on a very wicked family. You see, many years ago I didn't look like this. Per se. That is I did, but it was an illusion. When the summer came, or the sun's rays struck me, I would weaken. I would start to melt. I hated that weakness. I wished to be cured of my affliction, and so in my desperation I went with my husband to the Fair Folk. Well, a mockery of the Fair Folk. An amalgamation between a rock troll and a sprite, of all the silly combinations to have bred," she said. Caleb paled. The hobgoblin! Oh he knew immediately this wasn't going anywhere good. "I pled with him to take my weakness away… And he did… But the price I paid…" She trailed off. Moren got the feeling she wasn't going to go into that part of it. She hardly had to. She had mentioned a husband. He saw no husband now, and currently she was pursuing Hans. The price she'd paid was self-explanatory.

"The wrong weakness," Moren said, hoping to reach her. Hoping to make her see he understood. Hoping to maybe get her to think twice about this and put them on a more neutral ground. He was a fool to hope as much.

"And how…" she admitted. "But que sera, sera. He promised he would return what he took from me under specific conditions. Conditions involving the repair of the mirror and obtaining all its shards. He told me of the broken pieces he wanted me to collect. The ones bound up in the hearts of still living men. I did his bidding. I brought many a young man to be sacrificed to the mirror. Their choice was either to be woven into the looking glass with the shard bound to them, or to have their hearts and eyes ripped out and the shards extracted that way. I was admittedly surprised that it was about half and half between those who chose to become the mirror and those who chose to die… Then the one with whom I'd made the deal told me about another young man, but this one was special. He didn't want this one dead, nor did he want him to become part of the mirror. He was already part of it, partially. A walking and talking shard, much like I had become. This special one was an anomaly. Do you know why?" Moren stayed silent. He wouldn't grace this woman with an answer. She turned coldly to him. Her eyes were glowing a menacing blue… He felt a chill shoot through his whole body and gasped, feeling like he was freezing from the inside out. Oh this wasn't good. "No, I don't suppose you do. Nor will you. Yet," she said to Moren, approaching and leaning over his throne, face so very, very close… It was terrifying. "This special one had been afflicted with the shards, but not as others had been. Really it was no surprise he ended up that way given the wicked curse on his family. Mor'du." Moren paled. "And that he was special gave me hope of finding a loophole. And I may have done just that. But enough of that. No more details. Now give your brother to me," she said.

"I will not sell my brother like he was a slave," Caleb hissed darkly, scowling at her.

"Oh yes you will," she replied. "Your guards frozen statues, your brothers as well. I will go on to the rest of your kingdom too if I must, and all that will be left of the Southern Isles is a haunting memorial to the once great land. A memorial of ice. Frozen as they were in the last moments they breathed for eternity. And if that isn't enough…" She leaned close, lips against his ear. "I know where _they_ are," she whispered, her breath chilling him straight through the head to the point he winced in pain. "The children you fathered and sent away with your beloved until the time came that you could gain control of your father's throne and make this land stable and safe for them again…"

Moren went white and viciously threw his head to the side, striking her face. She yelped, staggering back, then scowled at him. He cried out in pain as he felt a stab of cold shoot through him, assailing his whole body. He gasped, feeling ice creeping up his arms. He struggled against the bonds and turned to her. "Leave them alone!" he shouted at her.

"Is that a plea?" she asked with a cruel laugh.

"Whatever you want it to be it is, just leave them alone!" Moren pled.

"Then promise me your brother!" she snapped back, quickly leaning over his throne again with a scowl. "As we speak a group of pillagers approaches the homestead. They will ravage and kill your daughters, take your sons as slaves. She's no longer there to protect them, their mother, is she? You haven't even told your own brothers she's dead, have you?" Moren gave a sob, closing his eyes. No. No he hadn't. He hadn't because he hardly had come to terms with it himself, though it had been years. "Look at me!" she shot. His eyes flew open as he caught his breath. Immediately she conjured up an icy image that began to play out the very scene. He saw his children. They had grown so much… Teenagers now, most of them, some younger ones. They laughed and danced outside, chasing one another through the grass. The eldest child watched protectively over them and turned his head in the direction of… of _him_ … Of their father… Of the castle they remembered and longed for so much. They wanted to see him again. For a moment he felt a stab of pain. He should have sent for them long ago… Why hadn't he? To protect them? …The men were moving to attack the place they resided, his little ones so oblivious to the danger they were in… "I will stop them. It will be so easy, but you know the price you pay. Not only for your family, but for your kingdom's survival as well," she said.

He closed his eyes tightly and bowed his head. It wasn't as if he was in a position to refuse. He knew as well as she did that he was at her mercy. His children and the very existence of his kingdom if he disobeyed… But the life of a brother if he listened to her? What kind of deal was _that_?! He told himself the brother wouldn't die. That would be something at least! The brother he gave to her wouldn't die… But his babies and his kingdom _would_ …

Frozen

The Ice Maiden smiled and chuckled darkly, gently stroking the king's cheek. Defiantly Moren pulled away from her touch and she laughed, standing up and demolishing the image of his family. Even seeing _that_ made him feel ill. Oh please let them be safe… All he had was her word on which to rely, but maybe it was better than nothing? Somehow that felt like a deceit to himself. She smiled at him again. "Give your youngest brother to me. Promise me Prince Hans."

"He's engaged!" he tried to argue one last time.

"Then put a stop to it," she sharply replied. "Give him a direct order if you must. That boy will be mine."

"He's never listened to an order of mine in his life," Moren dryly said. Or rarely had.

"Either you figure it out, your Majesty, or you lose everything else. Maybe your little play for alliance with Arendelle will fall through, but an alliance with me? You will be far more powerful than you ever could have hoped to be, tied with Queen Elsa. I know the reputations of the princes of the Southern Isles… You'll find a way."

"Don't do this. Please. Any of my brothers still single are yours for the taking! Why must it be Prince Hans?!" Moren demanded.

"You know why. Don't play stupid," she answered. She smiled darkly. "You must attend to the commencement of this story, for when we get to the end we shall know more than we do now," she quoted in nearly a whisper. Moren began to feel sick to the stomach, feeling the blood drain from his face. She gave a sickly satisfied little smile. "About a very wicked… looking-glass," she paraphrased next, and he felt almost dizzy with something akin to fear to hear the way she had switched up the words of the story. "Which had the power of making everything good or beautiful that was reflected in it almost shrink to nothing, while everything that was worthless and bad looked increased in size and worse than ever."

"Leave him alone!" Moren said.

"Is that a plea or a threat?" she asked.

"I am begging you, leave him alone," Caleb pled. Hans had come so far…

"Your brother, or your children. Your brother, or the whole of your kingdom and all the rest of your siblings," she said evenly. "They're almost there, Caleb. To the home of your family. You have merely seconds. "Five… four… I hear them screaming. Your older children draw their weapons, but they won't stand. Three…"

"Deal!" Caleb exclaimed. He didn't give himself time to think it over anymore. He knew full well this was a bargain… In about as loose of a sense the term 'bargain' could get. "Now stop them! Hans will be yours, just stop!" She laughed and closed her eyes. An icy wind swirled around her, lifting her hair into the air as she focused her energy… Then she stopped and smiled.

"The North Wind is such an ornery fellow, sometimes, but good in general. The icy walls surrounding your homestead are proving quite a shock to those attackers. Your babies as well. The raiders are trying to get through… Ah there it is. The wind and the hail are driving them back. You've never seen such large hail before. Ooh… I don't think that brigand will be getting up ever again. Or that one. Tsk, tsk, tsk… They had families of their own." Moren felt like he'd been struck. He stayed looking at the ground in silence. "There. They're safe now… And now so are your brothers and the guards. Unfrozen and free to go about the day. Don't disappoint me, Moren. You promised me the prince. Remember it. No matter what."

"No matter what," he repeated in a whisper as he felt the icy shackles releasing him. He almost wanted to go after her and run her through, but she was already more than halfway across the throne room, and with his permanently damaged leg there would be no catching her. He would only doom them all. Bitterly and fearfully he watched her go.

At the doorway she stopped and looked back. "And Caleb? This never happened. Understood?" she said.

"I… I understand," he replied, bowing his head. The moment she was gone, he shot to his feet and hurried to find Mael and give him a piece of his mind. Damn him! He had said it was the better idea to let her stay and _now_ look at where they were! He'd become her puppet! He could have spit.


	8. A Stirring Monster

A Stirring Monster

Lars sat in the darkness of his room staring out the window and feeling sick. He heard the door burst open. "You bas…" Moren began.

"I know what happened," Lars cut off. "I know…"

Moren was quiet. "You told me that letting her stay was the better option!" he angrily shot. "Now I have become her puppet, and Hans… Oh god…"

"I know… Believe me when I tell you that letting her stay was by far the better choice… At least that was what I was led to believe at the time." Lars said.

"Better for who?" Moren asked in a pained whisper. "And what do you mean, 'led to believe'?"

"The sights I saw were twisted, jumbled, and impossible to understand or pick out… And all of it was bad… On occasion it was horrific… I chose the option attached to what seemed like the least bad outcome," Lars said.

"If we had left her behind?" Moren asked.

"There would be nothing left of Jürgen's land… Then nothing left of mine, Rhun's, Duach's, Justic's, Franz's, Calcas, Connyn, Coth, Kelin-Sel, Iscawin… Hans… Arendelle… All she threatened you with would have come to be and more… Because she would have had Hans either way. Just… just this way there seemed to be a _chance_. And Arendelle would survive on top of it!"

"Elsa could have defended Arendelle!" Moren shot.

"Maybe, maybe not, but that wouldn't change what happened to everything else. It wouldn't change Hans's fate… More lives were spared this way," Mael said. Moren was silent, an unbidden burning in his eyes. He hated that he saw the sense in Mael's decision. There was no arguing that it was the better one.

"What are we supposed to do?" Moren finally asked.

"I… I don't know," Mael answered. "I went to the archives on the island Jürgen lords over to try and find information on her. I'm trying still. Maybe in history we can find answers."

"Or in Kristoff. He is of the mountains, is he not?" Caleb asked.

"He is," Lars answered with a sigh. "He's been up there long enough that he might have heard of something linked to this woman."

"Ice Maiden. She called herself the Ice Maiden," Moren said. "What is she? Was she truly attacked or was it all a play?"

"She was never assaulted. Not as she says she was. All she did and said was designed to draw Hans in. And us. Ice Maiden… I don't think she's any more or any less than that. She's the Ice Maiden; and I think that that is a unique thing."

"Her powers… They're so much like Elsa's…" Moren said.

"You would think so, at first glance," Mael replied. "But they aren't. And maybe, just maybe, that will be her downfall… Her downfall or her victory. So many things depend on what we don't know…"

"I hate this," Moren said.

"I hate it too… Before this is done we all will," Lars answered. "You are not her only puppet, take comfort in that at least… Because this is _our_ kingdom too." Moren was quiet.

Frozen

Hans and Elsa rode back to the castle in silence. Reaching the stables they dismounted their steeds and put them in for the night before walking through the courtyard towards the large doors. "I'll see you tomorrow," Elsa said, turning to Hans.

"Indeed," Hans said. "When do you leave?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe tomorrow evening or the next morning? Maybe I'll stay longer. It depends on how things go. Anna and Kristoff are holding down the throne in my absence, so there's no rush immediately, though I can't be gone long," she replied.

He nodded. "Then tomorrow, my lady," he said, bowing to her. "Goodnight Elsa."

"Goodnight Hans," she answered, smiling and pushing open the doors to the castle, entering. He followed behind her.

"Prince Hans, your brother the king wishes to see you," a guard said.

Hans frowned curiously. "Why?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, my lord. He said it was urgent," the guard replied.

"You'd better hurry to him," Elsa said worriedly.

"No doubt," Hans replied, a little curious and honestly a bit suspicious. Quickly he set off for the throne room. Elsa watched worriedly after him then headed up to the room in which she was staying.

Frozen

Hans entered the throne room and froze in place. It wasn't just Caleb, he noted immediately. Two were there. Not just any two, but the _last_ two you wanted to end up in private conference with. The King and the torturer. Mael. He felt like he had the evening he'd been sentenced for his treachery in Arendelle, the eyes of his brothers all looking down at him, condemning him… Only this time there were only two. Somehow that was almost worse.

"What's going on?" Hans guardedly asked, cautiously approaching. He was about ready to spring at anyone and anything the moment a wrong move was made.

"Something wrong on so many levels that…" Lars began.

"Enough, Lars," Caleb ordered. Lars glared at him then fell silent with a sigh, looking sadly and apologetically at Hans. That look put the prince very, very on edge.

"It had to be done," Mael finally said, looking down and away from his brother.

"Come on, guys, you're acting like you sold me into slavery," Hans said. When he witnessed both Lars and Caleb tense up, he felt his heart drop. "Did you?" he asked, immediately bristling as his hand went to his sword.

"I suppose that would depend on what you call slavery," Caleb answered.

Hans blinked. Oh shi… "What the hell did you do?!" he finally freaked out, unable to stay calm anymore. This was very bad now. "What the hell did you do to me?!"

"You will not marry Elsa, Hans," Moren finally managed to bring himself to say.

Hans froze. "What?" he finally asked after a very long moment of dead silence.

"I forbid you from marrying Elsa," Moren repeated, forcing himself to go into king mode.

"You forbid… Excuse me? I don't think so!" Hans shot. "You won't forbid me anything, do you hear me, Moren?! You don't forbid me _anything_!" he viciously yelled.

"Watch me!" Moren snapped. "You will not marry Elsa! Should you try to defy me so help me I'll take a page from Corona's book and have _you_ locked away in a tower!"

"Try it, Caleb! Try it!" Hans challenged, drawing his sword.

"No one's going to fight you, Hans," Mael said tiredly, massaging the bridge of his nose.

"Tell me what's going on!" Hans shot. "Tell me right now!"

"An oath to keep. One of the last promises our father made," Mael answered.

"What?" Hans asked.

"Long ago he promised one of his sons to the daughter of a very, very powerful queen; to be the girl's husband in exchange for her alliance," Moren said. Which wasn't true, and though he longed to speak the truth of it, there had been no question in the Ice Maiden's voice when she had told him their conversation had never happened. He had confessed to telling Lars. She had told him she already knew that the seer knew, and that it would be in Mael's best interests as well to keep silent.

"Then pawn off Iscawin or Kelin-Sel!" Hans snapped. There was silence. "What?" Hans asked suspiciously.

"The… the deal was for the _youngest_. Specifically," Lars answered for Caleb. Hans was silent.

"So what? You're going to hand me over to a total stranger to keep a promise father made? Half the time you break those old oaths, Moren. How is this different?!" Hans finally demanded.

"Because should I refuse, we will gain an enemy we can't stand to," Moren said.

"Are you so sure of that?" Hans hissed.

"No… But it isn't a risk I'm taking. Not when the Isles are on the line," Caleb answered.

"I won't go to her!" Hans said. "I'm engaged, and I have no intention of breaking it off. Not for you, not for the Isles, not for anyone."

"You will marry her," Moren said. "You have no choice."

"I'll make one," Hans darkly replied.

"You have no choice!" Caleb snapped, shooting to his feet. "Hans, please, I beg you!"

Frozen

Hans looked at his sibling in shock. The terror in Caleb's voice… It was unlike anything he had ever heard! In fact, it made Hans more than a little uneasy. "What?" Hans asked. Caleb, heart pounding, felt himself shivering and gasped, sitting down again and massaging his forehead. "Caleb?" Hans uneasily asked. "Caleb, what's going on?"

Numbly Caleb looked up at his brother again and swallowed. "You will marry her," he said without answering. "Though she doesn't know it yet. Or remember."

"What?" Hans asked.

"When I went to the archives I searched for information. On the girl. Greta," Lars said.

Hans stared, numbed by shock. "Greta?" he finally repeated. All calmness fled. "What the hell is going on?!" he freaked. "Why won't you tell me anything?! What are you talking about? Greta a princess? What's even happening?!"

Caleb drew in a shaky breath and looked at Hans. "I order you, Hans Westergaard, to break off your ties with Elsa and bind yourself to Greta," he commanded. "You will do so… On pain of _Elsa's_ death." Hans stood numbly, lips parted in shock as he stared at the ground trying to comprehend the reality of this. This couldn't be happening… "Hans. Please," he heard Moren say.

He closed his mouth and swallowed, looking back up. "How could you threaten that? She's like a sister to you!" he finally replied.

"I would sooner die than condemn her to any such fate… But there is so much more on the line than you even know," Caleb answered. "And when I tell you there is a reason for this, believe me there is a reason. Your choice is to marry Greta or condemn Elsa."

"You would never lay a hand on her. You couldn't if you tried," Hans darkly hissed.

"I won't need to… Greta's queen mother will," Moren said.

"Greta isn't even aware this is supposed to happen!" Hans shot. Was any of this even true? He was getting a very real sense he was being lied to.

"Nor will you inform her of it," Moren said.

"There is a curse upon her, Hans," Lars said.

 _She_ _ **is**_ _the curse._

"What?" Hans asked. Surely this was all a lie. But if it wasn't? What then? And if it were a lie after all, what were they covering up that was so serious?

"She can never know what her mother arranged for. She can never know who she is. Not until the day you two are bound together," Mael stated. "Then she will be free, the alliance will be sealed, and all will be well again… As well as it _can_ be…" Baby brother wasn't the only storyteller in the family, it seemed. Hans was quiet. After a moment turned and walked quickly out of the throne room without giving an answer. Right now he needed to come to terms with things. Oh this couldn't be happening… Neither of the two brothers followed him…

Frozen

Hans sat on the courtyard wall looking out over the ocean in silence. "Hans?" a voice said. Elsa. He didn't turn. She came to him, climbing up onto the courtyard wall. "What happened?" she asked him. He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head saying nothing. She watched him worriedly, trying to determine whether she should press or not. Soon, though, she settled on leaning against his arm and watching the ocean too, resting her head on his shoulder. Something was bothering him greatly. She wished he'd say what, but she wouldn't pry. He seemed prone to shutting down when you pried… But then sometimes he opened up too. It was a balancing act, and no easy feat to get the hang of either. Often it was trial and error.

"I can't do it," he finally said. She was silent. "I can't…" He stopped himself, shaking his head. "But if I have no real choice…"

"What's happening?" she asked softly.

"A choice," he answered.

"What choice?" she questioned.

"I… Elsa, Greta is… She's not like others," he said. Elsa felt a stab of pain shoot through her. This was it. He was going to choose that-that _woman_. She should have known better than to think otherwise. She should have… "She isn't what she appears to be…" he said, and Elsa frowned. What? That wasn't what she'd expected.

She straightened up, looking at him curiously. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"I… Greta…" he began.

Suddenly he stopped, and she felt him visibly stiffen, staring passed her at something. She turned quickly. Nothing was there. She turned back to her fiancé. "Hans, what did you see?" she asked.

"Nothing. I saw nothing," he replied. Right? But for a moment… For a moment he could have sworn he saw the figure of a woman watching them.

"What about Greta?" Elsa prodded.

"Someone talking about me?" a voice said. Greta's. Elsa inwardly cursed and turned with Hans to see the woman approaching with a blameless smile. Hans inwardly shuddered. That smile… He knew that smile. It was one he had worn for Anna. A mask… She was a mask, he realized. What that mask was he didn't know, but he knew in his heart he hadn't been told everything. He wasn't sure what seemed off, just that something did, and information was being withheld. Information pertaining to her. She was a chameleon.

 _Like you. A lie._

"Hello Greta," Elsa greeted, willing herself not to sound as cold and bitter as she felt as she put on a smile.

"Hello, Queen Elsa," she greeted. She looked to Hans. "Hans," she added. In her eyes and smile he saw a glint of something before it disappeared. He didn't like this. At all.

"What is it Greta?" Hans asked.

"I heard you were in conference with the brother king. What was wrong?" she questioned worriedly.

"I was just asking him the same thing," Elsa said, turning to Hans. His gaze was fixed on Greta, though, and Elsa felt her stomach twist uncomfortably.

"Wrong? Nothing. Nothing was wrong," Hans replied.

"Was a decision reached?" Greta asked.

Hans was quiet as he glared at her. "No," he finally replied. He spotted something flash in her eyes before fading. Or was he being paranoid? Was he being unfair to her, misjudging? He knew what that was like too… He didn't wish it on her if that was the case, but it just… Nothing was right… "Maybe for them, but not for me," he said.

"If it's something dangerous I hope you arrive to a conclusion soon, Hans. I would hate for anything bad to happen," she said.

He smiled sweetly at her. "I know you would. I would hate for anything bad to happen to you too," he replied. Elsa looked curiously at him. Something was… off about his tone of voice. It was almost _too_ sickly sweet. Like it had been with Anna. She turned to Greta, who looked surprised. Quickly, though, that surprise vanished to an elated grin like that smile meant everything to her.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about me, my Lord. I would be more concerned for your family," Greta replied.

"You act as if you know what the meeting was about, Greta. You weren't spying now, were you?" Hans said.

 _Inwardly the Ice Maiden seethed… Was he toying with her? Did he know? Best to play it safe for now. Moren would not have been so stupid as to confess the truth. Oh but this boy was cocky, wasn't he?_

She kept on an innocent smile. His attempt to worm more information out of her than he had any right to would not succeed. He didn't know, and she had to keep up her cover. That he was trying to catch her in a lie right in front of the Snow Queen… Snow Queen. Hah! What a joke.

Her smile became slightly guilty. "Admittedly maybe I was," she said. "I just… I was worried. For you and your brothers all," she said.

"Mind filling me in on what the meeting was about?" Elsa asked Greta, smiling at her.

"I couldn't hear much. Just snippets. There was something about promises their father made that they were obligated to keep. If they didn't, I got the impression something very, very, very bad would happen to the Southern Isles and to them," Greta said, growing serious.

"What?" Elsa asked, looking to Hans who was glaring at Greta. "I assume Moren was going to fill me in? Allies do, after all, help one another when there's danger."

"I'm afraid that it might be danger they won't be able to weather even with you, my Queen," Greta said. "I can't pretend to know for sure, but they sounded so very grave… Tell us, Hans, please. Don't we know enough that you can at least tell us a little more?"

"You little slut," Hans venomously and icily articulated.

"Hans!" Elsa exclaimed in shock and horror. And maybe slight fear… Fear because she hadn't heard that tone in his voice since… since he was the monster…

"What? Wh-what did I say? Why are you so hostile, my lord? I only feared for your safety!" Greta exclaimed in dismay.

"You little _slut_!" Hans repeated, leaping from the wall and drawing his sword.

"Hans, no!" Elsa exclaimed, quickly leaping down and getting between him and her. "What's come over you?!"

"Get out of my way," Hans warned darkly, eyes fixed on Greta.

"No," Elsa firmly replied, scowling back and lighting her hand with the threat of ice and snow. "What's going on? Why are you doing this?"

Hans's eyes moved to her and suddenly he was acutely aware of the tightening he felt in his heart and the throbbing pain behind his eyes and in his head… He started, gasping and almost instantly dropping the sword as if he'd just realized what he was doing. He looked from Elsa to Greta and back. After a moment he bowed to the two women, picked up his blade, then quickly left them both behind at a rapid pace, not even bothering to reply. Elsa watched worriedly after him. "What's come over him?" Greta asked.

"I… I don't know," Elsa replied, cancelling her attack worriedly. The thing she had seen… It had been the monster, not the man… It scared her…


	9. An Unsettling Incident

An Unsettling Incident

Hans paced back and forth in his room agitatedly. Why had he lashed out like that? It wasn't like this was her fault! She didn't even know about the bargain her mother had made, right?

 _If a deal had been made at all._

But the way she looked and acted… None of this sat well with him. _None_ of it. This couldn't be happening. There had to be a way out of it, but how? He shook his head. He couldn't sabotage his relationship with Elsa right now. He couldn't keep snapping at Greta either, or letting this get to him. For one, it wasn't Greta's fault.

 _Or is it?_

For two, for all they knew her mother was dead! Right? He felt like he should tell Elsa about the conversation with Moren and Mael, but at the same time… He just didn't know anymore. Angrily he knocked a candle off of his bedside table. The flame died as it hit the ground and the room was that much darker. It almost reminded him of Cumberland… He shuddered at the memory, closing his eyes. Taking a breath he opened them again and looked around. Soon he sighed. He should get some sleep. It was what? One in the morning? Oh this was ridiculous. Shaking his head, he began to undress for bed.

Just then there was a sound and he paused. What was that? He frowned, looking around. Strange… This room was usually as quiet as a tomb unless he had the window open. He listened carefully for a repeat of the sound, but there was nothing. Soon he shrugged it off, mostly, though he ensured he kept his sword near just in case. Better safe than sorry, after all. He went to the washbasin and began to wash his face. As he was drying off he heard the sound again and started, turning quickly. Nothing. He was still. After a moment he put down the towel and picked up his sword, going towards a closet. There weren't many other places any possible intruder could hide, but he would be sure to check them all. Maybe he was being paranoid, but suspicion had saved the princes of the Southern Isles many, many times before.

He neared the closet and took hold of the handle, throwing it open and relying on the element of surprise. Nothing was inside. He shifted uneasily then closed it again. He went to his bed, cringed, then sighed again and looked under it. He felt like he was a child looking for monsters. This was ridiculous. Again he reminded himself that he was better safe than sorry. Nothing was there. He stood up again, looked around once more, then crawled into bed and tried to relax enough to sleep. It wasn't easy. Something still felt… _wrong_.

Frozen

He wasn't sure at what time he woke up. He wasn't sure what roused him, for that matter. Something had, though, and he frowned, sitting up in bed a little and looking around the room. A dream, maybe? He looked across from him and tensed. A mirror. Of course. He always had it turned around so he never had to look at it. So why was it facing him now? A chill shot up his spine and he stiffened.

 _Someone is in your room…_

He leapt from the bed immediately. "Who's there?!" he called out sharply. No reply of course, but it made him feel a bit better that he'd let whoever was near know that he was onto their game. "I'm calling the guards!" he said, going quickly to his bedroom door and opening it up. "Guar…" he began before gasping and leaping back about a foot. "Greta! Dammit, you scared me," he said, heart pounding. "What are you doing here?" Again the sense of unease. Again he willed it away. This wasn't her fault… Was it?

"I was walking to my room when I heard you call out," she replied. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing at all," he replied. "Just… I thought I heard something."

"Oh," she replied. "Maybe you shouldn't be alone in your room tonight. Just in case. Go stay with one of your brothers. Or… or _I_ could stay?" she shyly said.

"You're brazen, aren't you? That would be about as inappropriate as inappropriate gets, I'm afraid," Hans replied. "Um… Greta, do you remember your past?"

"My past? All I remember is waking up one day on a beach with no memory of anything that had happened before that day. A fisherman found me and took me in and cared for me. I established myself on the island your brother lord's over and that's it. I'm afraid my life isn't very exciting. It can't be, compared to yours and Elsa's," she said, smiling up at him.

"I see…" Hans quietly said. "Then you were the victim of a shipwreck." Which only confirmed what Moren had said.

 _Or confirms she is lying to you. Look at her, chameleon prince. You know a deceiver, don't you? Or have you really grown fond enough of her that you can't see?_

 _For all I know, you're the shards of the mirror talking. For all I know, these thoughts now are._

"Yes," she answered, head bowed. "I was the only survivor, so no one could ever tell me who I was or where I came from… It was so hard…" she said, tearing up.

"I'm sorry. For bringing it up," he replied.

She smiled up at him. "I'm sorry I'm getting so emotional over it, it's just… It's not easy not knowing your past or where you came from."

"I can only imagine," he replied. Though honestly there was a time he would have loved to have forgotten who he was or where he came from. "Let me walk you to your room," he said. If only to get out of his own… And the growing sense of unease around it.

"I would like that," she said, wiping her eyes with a sniff and grinning gratefully up at him. He smiled in return, threw on a loose shirt, and accompanied her back. She turned to him, at the door. "Goodnight, Prince Hans. Elsa is a lucky woman to have you. I hope she realizes that."

"My lady, I think it's the other way around," Hans replied, bowing to Greta with a smile. "Goodnight." Turning, he left before she had a chance to attempt, key word 'attempt', to tempt him. As he approached his room again, he slowed down then stopped. He didn't want to go back in there, he realized. He shifted uneasily and looked in the direction of Kelin-Sel's room. Again he shifted. Was he honestly considering crawling into the bed of one of his big brothers like he had when he was a child? What the heck was wrong with him? He could stay the night in his own room! He turned to it then froze, eyes widening.

 _The mirror was now facing the doorway…_

His lips parted in silent horror and quickly he shut the door to his bedroom and bee-lined for Kelin-Sel's. Nope, nope, so much nope. He wanted no part of the nope. He pushed open the door to his sibling's room. Kelin-Sel snorted awake and looked quickly over, tensing up in case of danger. He started. "Hans?" he whispered. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Just move the heck over," Hans replied.

"Wait, what?" Kelin-Sel asked. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Move over, Kelin-Sel!" Hans shot, marching straight to the bed. Confused, Kelin-Sel obeyed despite being totally lost. Hans crawled into the bed next to his brother and rolled onto his side to try and sleep. Kelin-Sel stared at his sibling in bemusement before deciding he could figure it out in the morning. Shrugging, he lay back down to sleep as well.

Frozen

Hans woke up surprisingly late for him. "Morning sleeping beauty," Kelin-Sel teased from where he was standing by a mirror, getting ready for the day.

"How many times has that been used on me now?" Hans dryly asked.

"Never gets old. You _are_ beautiful. Of course all of us are, but not the point," Kelin-Sel replied, smirking. "So, you going to tell me why you suddenly decided to regress to childhood? Monsters under the bed? Boogeyman? Nightmare?"

"Moving mirror," Hans replied. Kelin-Sel started. What? Hans sighed, seeing his brother's confusion. "I don't know how to explain it. One minute it's turned so I don't ever have to look into it, the next moment I wake up and its facing me, then I take a walk and go back and the thing's across from the door!"

"Someone got in your room?" Kelin-Sel asked.

" _I_ wasn't about to try and figure it out," Hans replied. "How someone could get into my room when the door was locked and the window too…? Yeah, that was a mystery I wanted no part of."

"No doubt," Kelin-Sel said, frowning. "I'll see to it that more guards are stationed around your room. Just in case. And that the mirror is taken out for a while."

"Thanks," Hans replied, rising and stretching.

"I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast," Kelin-Sel said.

"If I don't show up, assume I'm dead," Hans deadpanned.

"Don't be morbid, Hans. You're exaggerating," Kelin-Sel said, frowning at his sibling before leaving. Hans sighed before making his way out of Kelin-Sel's room and back to his own. As he was getting ready for the day, the mirror, back in its original place, was taken away. That felt much better, Hans decided.

Frozen

Hans walked down the palace corridors heading for the dining room. Just then a door open and out came Elsa, smoothing down a gown she'd selected from those that had been laid out for her in the closet. They almost ran into each other. "Oh, Hans! Sorry," she said, stepping back and tucking a strand of her braid behind her ear.

"It's okay. You look beautiful," he replied, smiling at her.

"Thanks," she answered, grinning. "Shall you accompany your fiancé to breakfast?"

"I most certainly shall," he answered, offering his arm. She smiled, linking her own through it. "How did you sleep?" he wondered.

"Not as well as I'd hoped to," she answered. "Just so much going on. What about you?"

He grimaced. "I had to crawl into my brother's bed like a child," he answered flatly.

"What's the story behind _that_?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mysteriously moving mirror creeping around what seemed to be an otherwise empty bedroom," Hans said.

"Are you sure you weren't having a waking nightmare?" she asked.

"Believe me, I'm sure," he answered.

"That's so strange. Do you think somebody's found a way into your room?" she asked.

"I'm not certain. The guards have been doubled around it in any case," Hans replied.

"Good. Maybe you'd be better off sleeping with your brothers for a while," she said.

"I won't be driven out of my own bedroom," he said. "I'm not overly concerned about the matter. Yet. Though if it keeps up I might have to change my policy on that."

"Don't be stubborn regarding this. If there's a chance someone who wishes you harm has found a way into your room…" she began.

"I know," he said. He had more enemies than he could count. "I'll be wary and careful."

Another door opened and the two looked towards it. Out came Greta, stretching. "Mmm, morning you two," she said, smiling at them. "Breakfast?"

"Yes," Elsa answered. "You'll be joining us once you're dressed no doubt?" she asked, noting the more-than-a-little inappropriate attire. Not that she could talk, her favorite ice dress wasn't exactly as modest as it could be, but this getup _Greta_ wore was somehow worse. She could only assume it was sleepwear. And she wasn't impressed by the fact Hans was taking it in. He seemed shocked, maybe slightly appalled, but he couldn't even _try_ to deny that there wasn't a little intrigue and appreciation in his gaze too.

"Dressed? I _am_ dressed," Greta replied. Elsa started, eyes widening. Hans suddenly seemed to notice he was staring and quickly looked away with a grimace.

"Greta, really. Put on something less… revealing. I don't want to spend a whole breakfast watching my brothers ogle you," Hans said.

"Why? Would it make you jealous, my liege?" Greta asked, smiling.

Hans blinked blankly and felt Elsa's hand tighten sharply on his own. He frowned, turning to Greta again. "Get something on," he repeated bluntly.

"Oh fine," she replied with a pout. She vanished inside and after a few minutes came back out. "Better?" she asked.

"Much," Hans confirmed, smiling at her.

"Will you walk me down?" she asked. "The way some of the guards stare… It makes me uneasy."

Elsa bit back a petty remark about her choice of attire—god she hated how catty she found herself becoming with this woman; she just seemed so… so _false_ somehow—and put on a smile. "Of course, Greta," she replied.

"My Lord?" Greta asked, looking at Hans for his confirmation.

"Of course," he said. He didn't offer her his arm, but she took it anyway. "Won't _you_ be the star of the morning, coming to breakfast with two beautiful women on your arms," Greta teased.

"Uh, sure, let's go with that," Hans replied, shifting a little uncomfortably. He didn't like how having two women on his arms made him feel. Kind of like, oh he didn't know, a total creep, maybe? An arrogant prick? Franz? It just felt so pretentious, and it wasn't something he ever wanted to boast up for fear of sounding like a total Neanderthal. Elsa gave him a reassuring smile and prodded him onwards. Reluctantly he made his way towards the dining room again thinking up ways to maybe possibly extricate his arm from Greta's.

Frozen

The day passed normally enough. Moren didn't press him to break things off with Elsa again, but he hadn't really had to, given the way he'd continuously and pointedly given him a warning glare that said more than words ever could. He tended to avoid those glares. For reasons she hadn't gone into, Elsa had extended her visit here. Hans could only assume out of jealousy and had teased her relentlessly about it. She'd threatened to walk away once and very nearly had… Except then Greta had moved to pick up the slack and she had returned. He wouldn't deny he'd been more than a little happy about it.

Elsa kept a close eye on Hans and Greta. She didn't like how often that girl was trying to hang off of him and lure him somewhere away from _her_. She told herself it was just petty jealousy and that she should be above that, but it was more! It was… it was like she felt she needed to… To what?

 _Protect him._

Elsa started at the thought then looked uneasy. Why would she need to protect Hans from Greta? No, that _couldn't_ be right. Could it? Every time they started to drift too far away… It was like some weird sense of dread entered her and she was always quick to go after them. It was just jealousy though, right? It had to be. Greta had given her no reason to feel like Hans was in danger around the woman. Still, maybe she should have a talk with the girl about staying away from her fiancé.

"Hey Greta, can we talk?" Elsa said suddenly, breaking into a conversation between the woman and Hans. It wasn't something she'd normally do, but she felt like this couldn't wait.

"Alright Elsa," Greta replied, going to her. Elsa smiled and led her away. She was aware of how much more relaxed Hans suddenly seemed.

Once they were a fair distance from the prince, Elsa turned to her. "I understand you're Hans's friend and that there's a lot you two have in common, but I'm feeling very… very stepped on right now. I know you probably don't mean to make me feel that way, but I do. I feel like a third wheel, an outcast, and I want that to stop. Please, I'm asking you to cut back on the time you spend with him. I know I'm coming across as a petty, jealous woman, but I need to say something because I don't think you're hearing him when he tells you to give him space. I need to protect not only myself, but you and him too, from things escalating in a way that maybe they shouldn't. I'm not going to tell you to stop talking to him altogether, just… just let _me_ be his focus for a while, okay?"

"Of course Elsa. I'm sorry. I didn't know this was affecting you so badly," Greta replied.

"Thank you," Elsa said.

"Peace?" she asked.

"Um… okay?" Elsa replied, smiling.

"I'll let you two have a little time together," Greta said, grinning then leaving. Elsa watched her go. That had been easy, she noted in relief.

 _That had been so fake._

She frowned worriedly at that dark voice in her head but then ignored it, returning to Hans with a smile. He blinked blankly then smiled back in amusement, no doubt impressed as to how she'd so easily shooed Greta off. "Nicely done, Snow Queen," he said.

"I try," she replied, grinning.

 _That night a mirror found its way to above Elsa's bed…_

Frozen

Elsa came out of her room looking confused. "Elsa, what is it?" Justic, who had just been walking by, asked, noting her distraction.

"When was a mirror moved over my bed?" she asked.

"What? No order like that was given," Justic replied, confused. He pushed open the door and started. Sure enough there was a mirror. And it was dripping. He smiled. "You must have conjured it in your sleep, Elsa. It's made of ice," he said.

"Ice, really? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know my power, I mean gift, would act up in my dreams," she said. Although she couldn't remember _having_ a dream in the first place. Then again, most of the dreams you had you forgot, right? "Guess that's one mystery solved."

"All in a day's work," Justic replied with a grin. "Just call me detective."

She chuckled, nodding. "How's Hans?" she asked.

Justic frowned. "Strange. He crawled himself into my bed last night muttering something about scratching behind the walls. I sent the guards to investigate, but they came up empty handed. Oddly enough, the mirror they'd removed from the room before was there again. Well, not _it_ , per se, but the glass. Or _some_ sort of glass. At least I think it was glass, but then again it looked almost more like ice. I couldn't be certain, I only caught a glimpse. I didn't see what they did with the thing either, so I couldn't tell you."

"Do you think I conjured that too?" she worriedly said.

"I'm not sure you _could_ have," Justic replied. "We'll look into the matter, don't worry. And if _we_ don't, _Hans_ definitely will. It's not so much he's afraid as he's getting annoyed and suspicious. He went to Kelin-Sel, then to me last night, more to be on the safe side than out of fear."

"I hope you figure it out," she frustratedly said, shaking her head. "I'm getting a bit worried about him."

"You aren't the only one, sister," Justic replied, nodding in agreement. Elsa looked concernedly towards Hans's room. Maybe they should wait for him? Of course he might already be downstairs. She'd check there first. If he wasn't present, she'd go back and knock at his door to see if he was getting ready. And if he was okay.

Frozen

Hans stared at the door of his room for a long moment, a bit hesitant to go in. The things he needed to get ready for the day were in there, though, so he supposed he'd have to suck it up. The ice mirror would be gone, he told himself. Who had even conjured _up_ an ice mirror? It couldn't have been Elsa, she was too far away. What else could have done it, though? Shaking his head, he pushed open the door and peered inside. No sign of anything out of place. He entered, closed the door, then breathed deeply in, realizing he'd stopped breathing. Immediately on breathing in, though, he stiffened. Was that… perfume he smelled? He looked uneasily around. Probably one of the maids, he assured himself. He shook his head. He was getting paranoid. He went to his dresser to select his attire and suddenly stopped. The scent had just gotten stronger. Like someone had just walked in. He spun around, eyes wide. Nothing. Maybe the scent was coming from his dresser. But the maids weren't supposed to rummage around in their clothing unless it was the clothing set aside to be washed. He shifted uncomfortably, took his clothes, and went to his bed.

The prince went to sit on the bed then stopped. The perfume was strong here. A chill shot up his spine and quickly he knelt, smelling the blanket and pillows before leaping back in horror. "Oh my god," he said out loud. Someone had been sleeping in his _bed_?! He shivered then bolted for the door, throwing it open. He gave a terrified cry, stumbling back in horror. Right outside of his door was an icy mirror! "What the hell is happening?" he tensely, fearfully, breathed, backing all the way across the room and staring at the mirror in terror. The image began to twist like something was trying to form… He felt a stab of pain in his heart and eyes. He gasped, looking away and shutting his eyes tight. He wanted to cry out for help, but his voice wouldn't even work. He glanced over. It was closer! He gawked in terror. What was this? What the hell _was_ this?! He wanted to scream, make a sound, move, do _something_ , but it was like he was frozen in place. He sank down against the wall shutting his eyes tightly. The last thing he'd thought he'd ever do was regress into that old childhood belief that if he couldn't see it, it didn't exist; but right now it made things seem a bit better… Even though he knew it was a thousand times worse when he felt the cold creeping up on him...

Frozen

Elsa frowned worriedly. Where was Hans? Not down here, for sure. "Caleb, before I sit I'd like permission to go get Prince Hans," she said.

"Of course, Queen Elsa, you hardly have to ask my permission," Moren agreed, not meeting her eyes for some reason. Elsa didn't wonder on it too long. There was a more immediate concern to deal with.

"Shall I accompany you, Elsa?" Abigail worriedly asked.

"It's alright. I'll handle it," Elsa assured the woman who was currently helping her four-year-old feed himself. Quickly the Queen left the dining room to find her fiancé.

Frozen

 _Open your eyes._

That's what his inner voice told him to do, at least, but he didn't want to.

 _Open them, coward!_

He shivered and shut them tighter.

Elsa, meanwhile, reached his door and knocked on it. "Hans?" she called.

 _Open your eyes. You don't need to be afraid. Are you so sure it will hurt you? It's a mirror, you fool. It's just a mirror, icy as it may be._

Elsa, on getting no response, frowned. "Hans, I'm coming in!" she seriously called. "Hans!" Still no reply. Alarmed now, she threw open the door of his room and gasped, covering her mouth. He was huddled on the ground against the wall, eyes closed tightly. What was going on? "Hans!" she worriedly exclaimed, running to him and falling next to him, quickly turning his face to look at her. He caught his breath, opening his eyes in fear. On seeing her, though, he seemed to inwardly panic, quickly looking passed her then staggering up, scanning the room. "Hans, what's wrong? What happened?" Elsa demanded, standing as well.

He was silent. After a moment he turned to her, trying to determine whether she'd even believe him if he told. "An icy mirror… It was outside my door, then it-it came in! By itself, Elsa. It was… It was moving towards me and I just… I felt the shards and… God I must sound crazy," he said, holding his head in his hands and trying to get a grip.

Elsa was quiet. "There was an icy mirror above _my_ bed too," she finally remarked. He looked at her. "Justic thought maybe I had summoned it in my sleep during a dream, but… It had to have been me, right? Who else has the ability to do something like that? What if this is all my fault?" she worriedly said. "What if I'm losing control over my gift and…?"

"It isn't you," Hans said. "That magic… It wasn't yours. It felt… it felt different…"

"But no one else we know of can even _do_ anything like this!" Elsa insisted.

"It wasn't you," Hans repeated. "It felt… It was wrong…" He turned to his bed. "Do you smell perfume on the sheets?" he asked.

She looked curiously at him then moved to the bed, smelling the air. She started, straightening up. If Hans had been with Justic, then… Her eyes widened. "Someone slept in your bed," she realized. A woman, judging by the scent. She turned to him. "A maid?" she worriedly asked.

"I don't know," he answered.

 _A maid you could handle…_

Elsa looked uneasy. "I'll wait for your outside your door. Dress quickly and we'll go to breakfast and tell your brothers. They'll do whatever it takes to find whoever's sneaking into your room at night," she said. He nodded, gazing at the door almost dazedly. She went to him, touching his arm. His attention snapped back to her. "It'll be okay," she promised. He tilted his head then nodded, relaxing a bit. She nodded back then left the room to wait for him.

Frozen

A few minutes later, Hans came out looking uneasily back. Elsa looked sympathetically at him then went to his side, taking his arm. His attention returned to her. She smiled gently and prompted him towards the dining hall. He took the cue and started to move away from the room, trying to forget what had just happened. "Am I losing my mind?" he suddenly asked. She looked at him curiously. "There was no trace of anything there. Except the perfume. But there was no sign of the mirror. Not even scraped off ice or drops of water," he explained.

"If the mirror above my bed was anything to go by, you're not losing it," she answered. He nodded distractedly. They entered the dining room and his brothers looked over. On seeing how pale he seemed, they straightened up.

"Hans, what happened?" Connyn questioned.

Hans looked around. "Increase the guards. Make sure, this time, that they stay at their damn posts whether or not I'm there," he flatly answered. "Someone slept in my bed last night, and it wasn't me."

"What?" Jürgen immediately asked, straightening up. That was more than a little creepy and unsettling.

"To say nothing of the incident with another icy mirror," Elsa said. "An unsettling one."

"What happened?" Greta questioned.

"I opened the door to leave my room, after discovering someone had been in it. A mirror was right outside, blocking my exit. I backed away from it. It… it started moving… _Towards_ me," he said. Looking back he probably should have tried to shatter it, but the stabs of pain that had shot through his heart and head and eyes… He kind of hadn't been thinking as straight as he could have been.

"A nightmare of Elsa's?" Calcas hopefully asked, looking concerned.

"That magic was _nothing_ like Elsa's," Hans answered.

"But who else even _has_ the ability to conjure ice from nothing?" Coth questioned.

"No one we know of, but it wasn't her," Hans said. "If you'd seen it… If you'd seen it you'd understand why I'm so sure it wasn't her."

"The troll king?" Iscawin worriedly questioned.

"I… I don't know… But it _did_ almost feel like the evil mirror, just… I tell you I don't know!" Hans said.

"Alright, Hans, calm down. We're not pressing you for more information than that," Moren said. "I'll send more guards right after breakfast, but short of posting them inside twenty-four-seven, I can't guarantee anything."

"No surprise," Hans bitterly replied, glaring at him. He was obviously still enraged with his brother for ordering him to break it off with Elsa. And Moren obviously wasn't changing his mind about it anytime soon either, as evidenced by the fact he'd separated them at the table and put Greta next to Hans and Elsa next to Iscawin, to Hans's disgust and Iscawin's delight. His disgust only grew to see them animatedly talking and laughing together. Humph, maybe he should just excuse himself early and disappear for a while. Of course then that ran the risk of running into whoever was sneaking about, or into another mirror, so instead he sat quietly and tanked it out while every so often engaging in conversation with Greta.


	10. Frozen Heart

Frozen Heart

"I've noticed your brother trying to keep you and Elsa apart. Why?" Abigail asked Hans curiously as he walked with her and her children in the courtyard, silently fuming. Iscawin had swept Elsa off for a ride, and though she'd at first been hesitant, Moren and Lars both had pressed for her to go with him, so she'd agreed.

"Hmm?" he said, snapping back to himself and turning to her. "Oh. That. It's nothing," he replied.

"Hans, I know it's something," Abigail said, looking concerned.

He paused, looking back towards the castle. "Because Moren prefers to have pawns to loyalists," he finally replied more than a little bitterly.

"Now you're being unfair," Abigail said, frowning.

"Don't bet on it," Hans deadpanned.

"Does it have to do with me?" a voice asked. They sharply turned. Greta. "He's been trying to get you to spend more time with me, and he places us together at the table… What's going on, Prince Hans? Maybe I can help you," Greta pressed, coming up to them.

Hans was quiet, jaw twitching. "I don't know. Something happened and now suddenly he doesn't approve of my engagement to Elsa. He… he advocates for my union to you," he answered.

"Wait, what?" Abigail demanded.

Greta blushed brightly. "Me? Really? Why?" she asked.

"That's a question for him, not me," Hans answered. "He can forget it. It isn't that you aren't a wonderful woman, my lady, it's just I'm not interested in you that way and won't ever be. I have no doubts you'll find a good man one day, but it can't be me."

"Maybe… maybe he advocates for you and I because he knows that I'm the one who will make you truly happy and love you as much as you truly deserve. Maybe he just wants what's best for you," she said.

"Greta!" Abigail exclaimed in shock as Hans shot the girl a glare.

"Don't look at me like that. How many times has Elsa said you're a marriage of convenience? Tell me you don't understand that that means she doesn't love you. Maybe _she's_ the one who wants a pawn, not your brother," Greta said.

"Enough," Hans firmly said. He was losing track of how many times he'd told this woman that enough was enough. "Why I'm marrying her or she's marrying me is none of your business. _At_ all. I choose her. He won't threaten me out of it."

"Threaten?" Abigail asked.

Hans tensed up and shifted a little uneasily. "He threatened to either have me locked in a tower or have her condemned to death," he admitted.

"Oh my goodness. Hans, that can't be let go! Why haven't you told anyone?" Abigail demanded. What was even going on? Weird things had been happening as of late, yes, but this?

"Because he's all talk. He won't do it. Not now. Maybe once he would have, not even very long ago, but now? No. He's all talk," Hans answered. At least with him and the rest of their brothers he was. "He's weak like that," he added before missing a step, surprised those words had left his mouth and hoping Abigail and Greta didn't catch on.

"What if he isn't this time?" Greta asked.

"Then he's going to end up in a war he never wanted. With _me_ ," Hans replied more coldly than he'd intended to. It almost reminded him of then…

"Why won't you let me love you?" Greta asked, bowing her head sadly with tears burning in her eyes. "She'll never care for you like I do. She's said as much."

"I stopped putting weight in words long ago," Hans replied. It was action that mattered. "Words can easily be disguised. Words can easily be masked. You can sound so much more menacing than you would ever actually be. You can sound so much more distant from someone than you actually are. Words are the easiest thing in the world to disguise, and they can convince even you of your sincerity, but actions… That's something not so easily hidden or denied."

"You want her to love you," Greta said. "But you're only lying to yourself. You're living a dream world, Hans! The Queen of Arendelle has no interest in love whatsoever, and you know that." He was quiet. "You want to be the exception, I see that you do, but you aren't… Maybe your brother _does_ know best, have you thought of that?"

"Goodbye, Greta," he answered, walking away from her quickly and firmly.

"Hans!" she called. He didn't even look back.

Abigail gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about this, Greta," she apologized. Quickly she went after her brother in law, calling her children to her. Maybe they could sooth their uncle's anger. He seemed to have a soft spot for children. On more than one occasion she'd caught him spoiling them if they decided to get into his space.

Frozen

Greta frowned after him and scoffed. Unbelievable. "What do I have to do? Strip down and beg him to take me?" she muttered to herself.

 _It seems not all men so easily fall to desire and lust as you thought, hmm?_

"Oh shut up," she replied with a scowl. She couldn't be entirely angry, though. It was _his_ voice. Vertigo's.

 _The Southern Isles don't understand reason and love and devotion. The concepts are totally foreign to them and only newly registering with the princes. What they understand is threat and manipulation and deceit and treachery… Which is all the better, because I don't believe I can watch you give yourself to another man and still come back from it._

Inwardly she agreed. She was partially glad for it too. "So you're saying that the prince is more likely to believe someone would betray and hurt him than he is to believe someone could ever truly love and be loyal to him; and he will think it precisely what he should have expected and precisely what he deserves," she said. "And the Queen?"

 _Much the same, though for different reasons. Because for so long she was so totally emotionally isolated and lost. Because she still does not understand, and the past… It isn't so easily forgotten, as much as she tries to make it be._

"She will believe treachery over loyalty," Greta said, smiling coldly to herself.

 _No. But if the Princes suddenly turn on her it will be what she presumes first, if nothing else. How could anyone have ever trusted a sorceress, after all? How could she ever have believed they had accepted her? That will be all you need, Ice Maiden, to set it all in motion._

"No more games?" she asked.

 _Not for much longer. Play on lust, if you must, though it sickens me to see you hang off of that mortal, but remember terror always, as you have been doing as of late. He is concerned, not necessarily scared. Now make him shudder._

Coldly the Ice Maiden smiled.

Frozen

Hans looked towards the stables waiting for Iscawin and Elsa to come back. They'd been gone for hours. What were they even doing out there? At least guards had gone with them, he told himself. No chance to act on temptation with _them_ around. He hated wondering, though, because wondering gave way to him thinking over Greta's words to him.

 _You want her to love you… But men like you don't get happily ever afters._

Inwardly Hans scoffed. Happily ever after was about the biggest crock anyone had ever come up with. He made it a point to avoid them in almost all of his stories, because hey, life just wasn't that simple. No one could claim otherwise.

 _Greta is offering you happily ever after._

 _Greta is a deceiver. Something isn't right._

 _Must everything good that happens to you have an ulterior motive behind it?_

 _Yes. Or most everything at least._

He shook his head, inwardly damning the warring voices within. He sighed, turning from the window and walking back through the palace in silent thought. Just then he heard laughter and looked up. That sounded like Elsa. Curiously he went towards the noise. Maybe they'd come back another way. He turned down another corridor and spotted her walking down the adjacent hall "Elsa?!" he called, hurrying to catch up to her. He looked for her again and saw her enter a room. He frowned curiously and followed. He pushed open the door and looked inside. Down at the end of the room he saw her, but she wasn't alone. He felt his heart stop. The one with her was his brother. Iscawin. He held her in his arms and Hans looked on in disbelief as his sibling bent and took her lips softly while she returned in full… He quickly shut the door and…

Frozen

His eyes opened exhaustedly. It would be a dream like that, wouldn't it, he dryly wondered to himself. Inwardly he damned Greta and Iscawin both. Greta for her words to him in the courtyard, Iscawin for having feelings towards Elsa that aroused more jealousy in him than he'd ever admit in a million years. He sighed and closed his eyes to try and sleep again… Until he noticed a touch on his shoulder. Like a hand grasping it. And a body pressed against his back. His eyes flew open and he gasped, spinning around in terror with eyes wide. There was… nothing there? He looked frantically around then dove for a candle and lit it. Nothing… But he knew he felt it. That touch… It had been too real to be his imagination! Then again the imagination was a powerful and tricky thing, especially when one had just woken up and was still stuck in a half dream-like state.

He looked at the pillow next to him and for a moment there was a stab of fear when he thought he saw the imprint of a head on it, but he relaxed shortly after, deciding it was just a trick of the candlelight. No one was around and there were no mirrors, so he put out the candle and laid back down. He wouldn't be driven out of his own bed again, dammit! He shook his head in frustration and laid back down to try and sleep again. It wasn't long before he dozed off. It was even shorter of a time before he began to dream again…

 _"_ _Hans," he heard someone whisper. A woman next to him. Oddly enough it felt domestic, so he wasn't afraid. He opened his eyes to look at her. It was Greta, he noticed. Contrary to the freak out he had thought he would have, he just stayed still, looking at her. After all, dreams were funny things._

 _"_ _You're not supposed to be here," he said._

 _She smiled at him gently. "Aren't I?" she answered. "This feels right, doesn't it? Tell me it doesn't feel right. You here. At_ _ **my**_ _side."_

 _He shook his head coldly at her and closed his eyes again. "Dreams are the greatest deceivers of all," he replied simply. "And I'm through with you."_

 _"_ _No. You've only just started with me, wicked prince," she answered._

He felt himself waking up again and opened his eyes almost tentatively. No one was there and he sighed, closing them again. Oh boy, this was going to be one of _those_ nights. He frowned, feeling something under his hand. He sat up and saw that said hand was under the pillow next to him. He blinked then quickly seized the object and pulled it out. He looked down at it and screamed, actually screamed, before dropping it like the plague and leaping out of the bed. A mirror! A tiny mirror of ice!

"Prince Hans!" a guard called as the door was thrown open and three of them raced in.

"Get it out," Hans said, pointing shakily at the bed. They looked at him in surprise and some measure of concern before one finally tentatively approached the bed.

"Get… what out, my lord?" he asked.

"What?" Hans whispered. He sprang across the room. Nothing was there. He felt the bed where it had been and there was a wetness. Like it had just melted away. He considered telling the guards, but they probably thought he was insane as it was. "I… I'm sorry. It-it must have just been a dream," he said. They looked concernedly at him but didn't protest. Instead they walked out. He stared at the spot where the mirror had been, then backed away and sat on the floor in a corner, staring at the bed.

 _In a corner you're safe. In a corner nothing can sneak up on you._

He shook his head and swallowed. It was going to be a long, long night. Eventually he fell into a light and fitful sleep against the wall. A sleep plagued by nightmares of treachery, deceit, and death…

Frozen

His silence was the first thing Elsa noticed. His silence and the distance he was putting between not only them, but his brothers as well. Every time anyone pressed for answers, he would say everything was fine and he just didn't feel well. Not even his little nieces and nephews could reach him, when Abigail had set them on the prince. Eventually everyone had to just stop questioning it. He wasn't going to open up. Elsa watched from a window as Moren and Hans got into a vicious argument down below. She wished she could hear it, but the wind took their voices far away. It came to blows at one point, but the guards were quick to step in and pull the two apart. Hans jerked away from them and stormed off. Moren was released when Hans was out of sight and just glared after him before heading in the opposite direction for some cool-down time. She drew the curtains and worriedly went to find her fiancé. Maybe he would tell her what was going on finally. She wasn't holding out hope, but it was possible, right?

She turned a corner that led to the stairs down and stopped. Greta was already with him, she saw, holding his hands and prodding him to tell her what was wrong. He wouldn't meet her eyes, which was a good sign, but then… then he did… Then he did and he told her what he wouldn't tell anyone else. Not even _her_. Greta tried to draw him into a hug but he pulled away from her which was a good sign again, Elsa thought, but it didn't take away from the pain she felt to know he'd told Greta what was wrong and no one else. He was coming up the stairs. She quickly moved back out of sight and debated whether to meet him or get away while she still could. No. No more running. She had to face things, not run from them. She took a breath, looking up.

He rounded the corner and stopped. "Elsa?" he said.

She smiled. "Hi," she replied.

"Hi," he said. "What's up?"

She shifted. "Hans, I… I feel like there's been a lot of distance between us lately and… Well I just want to know if things are okay."

He was quiet. Finally he sighed. "I know. I get things have felt weird, but…"

"Not just weird, but like… like suddenly we're afraid of one another or don't trust one another or… I don't know," she said. He was quiet. "I saw you talking to Greta. How did she get you to tell her what was wrong where not even your brothers could? Or me?"

He looked at her again, summing her silently up. "I have to go," he said, walking passed her. She looked after him, hurt. What was going on?

"Hans, don't walk away, please!" she called.

"What do you want me to say, Elsa?" he asked, turning to her.

"I don't want you to say anything. I just want you to stay. To show me that everything's going to be alright and that you aren't… That you aren't running away!" she said.

"You're the one who runs, my Queen," he answered. He was the one who hid. She started at his words, cut to the quick. He shook his head and walked away again. She didn't go after him this time. Tears burned her eyes and she looked down.

"Elsa?" Abigail asked, peering out from a room. "Elsa, what's wrong?"

"I don't know, Abby," Elsa whispered. She wiped her eyes and Abigail became concerned. Gently she pulled Elsa into the room and sat her down to talk.

"Lucile, take your siblings and try to talk to your Uncle Hans again," Abigail told her oldest daughter.

"Yes mama," Lucile replied. Gathering her siblings together she herded them away. Abigail smiled. Her daughter would make a find leader one day.

Frozen

Hans moved through the hallway distractedly. "Uncle Hans? Uncle Hans!" he heard David call. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was in no mood to deal with children right now. Nonetheless, he put on a smile and turned.

 _A smile? You mean a mask._

"Hello, little ones," Hans said, kneeling down.

"Uncle Hans, why are you and the Queen fighting?" Kenan asked.

Hans's jaw twitched. "We weren't fighting, Kenan. I just... wanted some alone time." And still did, but he doubted the children would get the hint or care even if they did.

"But Queen Elsa cwying," little Cameron protested in confusion.

Hans shifted slightly uncomfortably, a stab of guilt going through him. "Oh... I didn't... I'll have to apologize to her later, then," he answered.

"Why not now?" Madeline asked.

"Because," Hans said slightly sharper than intended. The children jumped, blinking at him in surprise. "I'm sorry, kids, it's just... It's been a rough few days."

"You won't make the bad days better if you don't face them and try to make them happy again," Lucile said.

"You're right, sweetie. You're right," Hans answered. "Just right now I'm not in a good place. I'm afraid that if I tried I'd just end up getting mad and then we really _would_ fight."

"Oh," Lucile said, obviously still not getting it but making a valiant effort to understand.

"Do you love Queen Elsa, Uncle?" Madeline questioned. Hans was silent.

 _Yes... I love the Queen of Arendelle... Maybe **that's** why you want to distance yourself from her. Drive her away before she can hurt you. She will, you know._

"I... Hey, you guys want me to tell you a story before bed tonight?" he asked, changing the subject quickly.

"Yeah!" they all cheered together, forgetting their line of questioning.

"Tell 'tory about duckling," Cameron insisted.

"If you insist, darling," Hans answered, grinning at the toddler and poking his tummy, making him giggle.

He started as suddenly all of Jurgen's children were hugging him. "Don't feel sad, Uncle Hans. You don't need to anymore. You don't need to be scared either," David stated.

"Yeah! We can protect you," Kenan said.

"I'm sure you can, little ones, if you're anything like your father," Hans replied, smirking. Not that Jürgen had ever been _any_ kind of protector, he dryly added to himself. More like a tormentor. He was one of the Brute Squad, after all, and a damn heartless bastard if he wanted to be. "Now I have to go do some things, children. I'll see you later tonight, okay?"

"Yes Uncle," Kenan said. Quickly the five children hurried off again, Hans watching after them with a gentle smile. As they disappeared, his smile fell and he looked down. With a heavy sigh he stood again and continued to walk and think. He hated thinking, he decided. It was too much effort and stress.

Frozen

Hans entered the library and shut the door behind him. He drew a breath, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the door. What was wrong with him? It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with her, but Moren's constant threats to him to break it off with her, and the fact they couldn't seem to go anywhere together without Greta stepping in, and the fact it was like everything and anything was working to keep them apart, plus the dreams and the weird stalking mirrors thing… What even was happening anymore? He opened his eyes. He needed to stop hiding, he realized. He needed to go to her and make things right again, or pretend that none of the bad was happening and just assure her that she was the good that made the bad all worthwhile even if she didn't feel the same.

Shaking his head, he turned to the door and opened it intending to find Elsa. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, jumping in surprise when he nearly ran into Greta. "Greta, what are you…? Are you following me?" he asked, frowning suspiciously.

"I'm worried about you," she replied.

"That's nice, but I can take care of myself. I'd really appreciate it if you, you know, stopped showing up _everywhere_ ," he said. He was feeling like the weird icy mirrors weren't his only stalkers anymore.

"It's meant to be, what can I say?" she replied, smiling.

"No. It's not," Hans firmly said. "And you need to stop."

"Hans, I…" she began. She stopped, looking passed him. "Oh my gods…" she said. He frowned and turned. He gasped, paling. Icy mirrors were starting to form and creep towards them through the library! His eyes widened in horror. "Hans, are those…?"

"Run," he cut off.

"What?" she asked.

"Run!" he shot, seizing her hand and racing from the library. As if reacting, the mirrors shot after him, spreading over the roof, walls, and floors.

"What's happening?! Is this Elsa's doing?!" Greta demanded. "What if she saw us talking and just got mad? Maybe an apology would…"

"It isn't Elsa!" Hans shot. "That isn't the way her gift feels!"

"Hans!" Greta exclaimed, pointing ahead. He slid to a stop, gasping. Mirrors had blocked off the hall. He cried out in pain as a stabbing agony shot through his head and eyes. Then his chest. Frantically he shook his head. "This way!" she said, pulling him behind her. He looked up, following. She raced into a room. Hers he knew, but as long as he was away from those mirrors he was beyond caring. The door began to freeze over. Hans watched it in numb horror. "Here!" she said, pulling him through the darkness and darting into a closet, shutting the door behind them. He nearly panicked.

"You've trapped us!" he exclaimed.

"Shh. Maybe they won't know," she hissed. He bit his tongue. He doubted it would do any good, but it was something. He heard the icy mirrors creaking through the room and groaning. Oh his head was killing him, and his chest… It felt like he was going to have a massive heart attack. He moaned softly and she covered his mouth, taking one of his hands in her free one and squeezing tightly. He squeezed painfully back, in too much agony to be worried he might be hurting her. "Shh…" she soothed as he whimpered, pushing herself closer to him. "They'll leave soon." He shifted uncomfortably. For some reason the pain was getting worse… Like it had when he had been thrust into the mirror room in the Duke of Cumberland's palace…

The creaking and groaning of the mirrors started to die. With it went some of the pain. She removed her hand from his mouth. "It-it's the-the mirror. Oh god… It hurts," he whispered.

"Do you know where they've come from?" she questioned softly.

He shook his head. "No. No, I don't, I…" he began before cutting himself off to swallow. "The wicked mirror," he finally said. Some-something here has-has it. Or parts of it or… I don't know. I don't know where they've come from."

"Shh, darling, shh… _I_ do," she whispered, and something in the way she said it… He looked towards her, though he couldn't see her in the darkness of the closet. "I know where they come from. I think I can stop it, you know. The pain, the confusion, the uncertainty. I can make it all go away."

"What are you talk…?" he began before trailing off. Oh. God. Oh god! Suddenly he was acutely aware of a very permeating cold in the closet. Suddenly he could smell the scent of the perfume that had been on his bed. Before he could think he threw open the closet door, darting out of it. He cried out in agony immediately, collapsing to the ground and closing his eyes, covering his ears. He gasped, looking up. The room was filled with the ice mirrors! The room had become the one from the Cumberland palace! He could only gawk in horror. He gave a strangled cry and tried to scramble up to get to the door, but she caught him from behind and turned him to her. On seeing her he went white. She was no longer human… Facing him was a woman made of ice, smirking far more than a little maliciously.

Frozen

"Who are you?" the woman whispered to the prince who suddenly found himself frozen in place, unable to move no matter how he tried. The chill seizing his heart, the sting in his eyes and the headache… His heart beat so loudly… But it was dimming, dying. It was stopping…

 _It is freezing._

The woman enveloped him in her embrace, body pressed so closely and tightly to his. An embrace no woman who wasn't married to you should ever be giving. Her lips hovered over his. He felt her icy breath. Her hand entangled in his hair as her free arm wrapped around his neck. She let her lips drag up and down his neck, to his jawline, to his mouth. He swallowed, closing his eyes. This couldn't be happening to him. What was this?! Please, please let this be a nightmare. "Answer me, prince of the Southern Isles," she said.

"I am Prince Hans Westergaard," he answered obediently. He almost felt like he had no control, like his body wasn't his own, like the response hadn't been his…

"No. Perhaps in title and name, but that is not who you are. There lived thirteen princes, once upon a time, and though they were young and strong and vibrant, they were liars and deceivers and murderers too, and evil permeated their every action and every thought, but one more than the others. You see, there was darkness within the soul of the youngest worse than that of all his brothers combined. His soul but not heart, because he had no heart. It was frozen," she whispered before kissing the side of his mouth. He couldn't hear his heartbeat anymore, he realized with a chill. The pain was dying. He was starting to feel… He was starting to feel numb. Empty. Then like something was trying to crawl into him. "There was no way that what was once the heart of the young prince could ever be mined, and it was wonderful because there was an age old curse that would grant him so much power… He had once wanted that power under his authority so very badly."

"Mor'du," he whispered. The curse he realized, eyes widening slightly. He regretted it because suddenly they were stinging that much more.

"But then came a queen. A queen with a heart just as frozen as his, but in another way, and she reached something in him. Some faint remembrance. One faint question. What if? What if he had been anything other than what he was? And that question burned in him and he stewed on it, and something shifted in the balance… When he went back to her land… When he went back, that was the end, because piece by piece she chipped away at the icy prison encasing the heart that should never have been revived. Mining, mining, mining… _Born of cold and winter air and mountain rain combining… This icy force both foul and fair has a frozen heart worth mining,_ " she sang softly. She looked into his eyes. "Cut through the heart, cold and clear…" He grunted as he felt a stabbing pain in his heart as if it had been cut. "Strike for love and strike for fear, there's beauty and there's danger here. Split the ice apart. Beware the frozen heart…" Hans swallowed, shutting his eyes again. "Half the song, the prophecy, was hers, the first bit. But the second half… It was all you." He was silent. "It won't do, you know. Her uncovering that shrivelled little organ you try to insist to yourself is a heart. I need you to be with _me_. So you will leave her, and you will marry me, because if you don't your brothers and their families, your country and hers, all suffer more than you could have imagined possible."

"No," he finally managed to whisper.

She gave him a dark and threatening look before smirking icily again. "Oh, you will. Because the queen is done with you now, or will be soon. More than the fact _she's_ done with you is the fact _you're_ done with you. She knows the futility of trying to help someone who won't be helped. She was there. She could break free, but you… Not you. It's so hard, isn't it, to fight your very nature and being, or the nature and being the shard gave you? Let it go, young prince. Let it go. It will be so much better. So much easier. Let it go. There was never anything worth saving anyway." He gasped as he felt a surge of pain shoot through him. It felt like he was freezing over as the roar of a bear echoed in his mind! And then there was black…

Frozen

His eyes flew open and he gasped, sitting up panting. What the hell? What was that? He scrambled out of bed and to the wash basin, quickly and desperately splashing water on his face to try and get a grip. A dream, it had all been a dream… Hadn't it? _Hadn't_ it?! He gasped, looking up and towards the mirror he never looked into. He went to it and turned it around quickly as if it would have the answers… But it didn't. It was just a mirror, in the end. Just a mirror.

 _And in it you see what you really are… You can't help it. You reflect the truth of what those you face are inside their hearts. Including yourself. There's no escape. You're too far gone. You always were. Why do you fight your nature?_

"My nature, or the nature you try to put on me, is what I make it," he replied to the reflection, frowning at it and straightening up. "This inborn desire to do everything cruel and wicked and monstrous… I'm through with it. Forever. I'm not yours. Not anymore." This time he didn't turn the mirror around. He walked away from it head held high. He needed to go find Elsa.

 _It wasn't a dream, was it? What happened?_

Frozen

He reached out for the door but just then it opened. The one outside jumped with a gasp. "Prince Hans!" he exclaimed in no small amount of shock and horror. Who was this? Was this… His eyes widened. The _coroner_?

Hans tilted his head, curiously summing him up. "You look like you've seen a ghost," he finally remarked. He eyed the man and the ones behind him with an unsettling feeling. "Why do you have a death shroud and a gurney?" he questioned them, and though he felt more than a little uneasy, his tone didn't reflect it.

"You… I… We… My-my lord, you…" the coroner stammered. Hans waited patiently. "My lord, you're dead."

Hans started, blinking blankly. "I'm what? Because I'm pretty sure I feel alive," Hans replied. The men looked stunned and Hans realized with a chill that there was more to this story than he knew. "How long have I been indisposed?" he asked.

"S-sir, you-you were in a coma for-for a month! The woman, Greta, raced into the throne room the day you were found. She was in tears. She said something about mirrors of ice and told your brothers that you had collapsed in the hallway while the two of you fled from them. They raced up and tried to revive you but failed. Your eyes were open as if in death, but they could hear you breathing, hear your heart beating, and so King Caleb ordered you brought to your room and tended to with the best of care," the coroner said.

"So I don't wake up for a while and they presume I died?" Hans asked, incredulous.

"You don't understand, sir! Doctors from all manner of lands came to try and bring you back, but none succeeded. Not even your brother Lars, will all his healing knowledge and even magic despite its darkness, could bring you back… It was under his care you died, your fiancé at your side. As she had been virtually all of that time… Your heart stopped beating and your breath, and there was nothing… She tried to call you back, beg you to come back, but you didn't. She had to be forcibly removed, insisting that you were alive all the while. Mael tried and tried for so long to bring you to life, but your limbs… they grew cold and lifeless and began to stiffen as if rigor mortis had taken over, and finally… Finally he had to give you up for lost. He returned to the rest of your brothers in tears and broke down. Elsa refused to believe you were gone, begged him to go back and check on you as Abigail held her, but he told her that it was over. That you were no more… Caleb was deathly silent. It was Jürgen who finally managed to find the strength to send me up to… to retrieve your body for burial… So we came and were at your door and then you… My goodness, you're alive… You're really _alive_ ," the coroner numbly said.

Hans was quiet, stunned. "I _hope_ I am," he finally replied, more than a little uneasy. The coroner looked passed him as if to check for a body on the bed, but there was none.

"You… you should go to them. To your brothers," the coroner said.

"I… Y-yes… Yes, I should," he replied shakily, suddenly feeling ill and unsteady. He had… Had he been truly dead? No, that-that couldn't be, it was… Something was very, very wrong here. And he got the sinking feeling it went back to the Ice Maiden, the hobgoblin, and Mor'du all. Or at least one or two of them.


	11. Tangled Webs

Tangled Webs

(A/N: What happened meanwhile. Sorry for the delay, busy weekend plus there were a lot of changes that came to mind that I needed to incorporate into this story. And still am. A bit happier with it now. So far.)

The Ice Maiden smirked as the prince collapsed. Vertigo had nested! Her smirk fell, though, when Hans didn't get up. That… wasn't right. Vertigo was to take over and then stand up again as if nothing had ever happened. Why wasn't Hans moving? What was happening? "Vertigo? Vertigo!" she called out, hoping to the gods his voice answered. When it did, she had never been more thankful.

 _"_ _Dammit!"_

"What happened?" she demanded immediately, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief to know he was still there.

 _"_ _I-I don't know. I seized hold of the shard in his heart and began to enter, but this-this dark, this permeating presence, started to consume me. I don't know what's happening."_

Her heart dropped. Why did he seem so frightened? "Husband?" she asked.

 _"_ _This-this heat, this blackness… I heard a roar. He did too. Or his heart roared? Or the mirror? I don't know, my love, I don't know! It hurts. Dammit, it hurts._ _I… I don't know what's happening… It's empty here. Where is here?!"_

The Ice Maiden felt a chill. He sounded so numbed. Had he gotten into the heart? Had he failed? It wasn't clear. What was going on? What was he experiencing? She damned herself, nearly screaming in frustration. She had gotten cocky and tipped her hand! But the prince had been so ripe for the picking, in the perfect state for her to try and have Vertigo consume him. It had all looked so promising… Had Carabis sensed her plot? Had he always suspected? And the roar… That could only mean Mor'du, right? On the other hand, the fair folk were good at illusion, so maybe it was a warning from the hobgoblin? If Carabis had found out about her plans… Maybe she could still swing this to her advantage! If she played her cards right, Elsa would be out of the picture soon enough and she could bring Hans to the hobgoblin and hope he hadn't sensed her attempted treachery. They could move on like it had never happened. She wanted her beloved back, but not if it was going to get this risky. If she crossed Carabis and he found out, who knew what would happen? Shaking her head, she acted quickly to set things in motion again…

Frozen

The princes of the Southern Isles sat holding court. "Has anyone seen Hans?" Kelin-Sel worriedly questioned, noticing the empty seat.

"Not for some time," Coth answered.

Just then Greta raced into the throne room. "My Lords, your brother Prince Hans! Something's wrong!" she exclaimed in terror. "There-there were the icy mirrors he's been speaking of. They began to appear and seemed to pursue us and we fled, but-but he collapsed, sirs. He collapsed and wouldn't get up and his eyes were wide open like he was dead, but I heard him breathing and his heart was beating and… Oh gods, please, come quickly!" She raced out and the rest of the royals were quick to follow, totally flustered and taken off guard… Except Moren and Lars, the latter of which seemed sick to the stomach and the former of which seemed to be in shock.

Frozen

Elsa sipped the tea Abigail had made, curious as to what it tasted like. She had said it was a special sort made primarily on Jürgen's island. She'd called it a wild herb tea? The Queen started. "Wow. That's really good," she said, looking at it in surprise.

"It's a favorite of mine," Abigail said, watching her children playing together and giggling at all the toys they were finding. "Just a bunch of savory herbs boiled together. Took a while to get a recipe that didn't taste too disgusting to handle, but eventually the people found a winning combination. I'll write you a list of the herbs used, if you'd like."

"I would, actually," Elsa replied, smiling. Perhaps she could get the cook to make some. Anna would love it, she'd bet.

Abigail smiled and picked up a quill, scribbling down the recipe. "Here you are, Elsa," she said, handing it over.

"Thanks," Elsa replied, tucking it away in a pocket of her dress.

"Now, are you feeling better?" Abigail asked, frowning worriedly.

Elsa was silent. "Something isn't right, Abby. With Hans. It's like… it's like he's regressing into-into what he was," she replied.

"What was he?" Abigail questioned.

Elsa was quiet. What _had_ he been? Of course she knew what he had been, to this day she still had nightmares about it, but she didn't want to use the term monster when it applied to him. It just… it wasn't right. To call _anyone_ that. Or most anyone, at least. Monster wasn't accurate anyway. It was a blanket term, the one most easily thrown around, but it wasn't right. "He was… He was a mask… A mask and a mirror and darkness," she finally replied. "There was no light in him, or very little. He was…"

"Wicked?" Abigail finished for her.

Elsa was quiet. "Yes," she finally answered.

"That's how I felt about Meilic at first too," Abigail said.

"But this was worse, Abby," Elsa said. "I think… I think that even _they_ feared him…"

"Wow," Abigail said. If even Meilic and the other princes may have on some level feared Hans?

"I'm not sure if it was fear in a general sense. I believe that maybe they feared him because he showed them what they were inside themselves," Elsa murmured half to herself and half to Abigail as if piecing it together only now. Well, figuring out how to express her thoughts with the proper words, at least. "Goodness knows they're terrified of who they are. It may be their one shared fear, and their darkest one. Or almost the darkest."

"A wicked mirror. Barely even human?" Abigail said.

Elsa was quiet. On some level? Yes… Barely human… Oh she hated the idea of that. No. No, he hadn't been barely human. He had been scared and confused and angry and resentful. He had hated himself, hated his family, hated the world, hated the light. He had been trapped in a web of deceits and masks so think and convoluted that nothing short of a miracle could have pulled him free. He had… He had been the frozen heart. The cursed mirror. The wicked prince. Inwardly she cringed at all the titles that man held. Traitor Prince, Chameleon Prince, the mirror, a mask, the Wicked Prince... She wondered if he knew to this day what he was anymore.

"No. He was human," Elsa finally replied. "But he didn't believe he was… I don't think _anyone_ believed he was by that point." She remembered when he had seemed to have betrayed his brothers to the troll, when they and Anna and Kristoff had been locked in the hobgoblin's lair. She remembered the looks they gave him. Mortified. Terrified. And Lars' words…

 _Could even the shards of the mirror in your eyes and heart have turned you into the monster we see before us now?_

It was something like that, at least. And Anna…

 _Are you even human, Hans? Or was it hell that spawned you?_

Again, it was something like that. Enough to show him plainly that the world had given him up for lost. Not that he'd been surprised. He'd _already_ condemned himself. He'd just been waiting to hear the justification from the mouth of another. Or multiple others.

"Wow," Abigail said. She couldn't think of anything else to say. How far gone had the youngest prince been, she wondered? Did she want to know? She questioned if anyone but Hans had even truly seen how lost he'd been.

"Yeah. It was bad," Elsa said. Just then they heard the scrambling of racing footsteps from the room. Curious, she and Abby looked towards the door then rose and went to it, looking out. They started, eyes widening. The princes were racing by. Elsa reached out, catching Iscawin's arm. "Iscawin, what's happening?" she questioned.

"It's Hans. Something's happened to Hans!" he exclaimed worriedly before pulling free and hurrying to catch the others. Elsa blinked in shock, then immediately concern filled her eyes.

"Oh no. Let's go!" Abigail urgently said, racing after them. Elsa quickly followed, concern starting to give way to fear. What had happened to the prince?

Frozen

Racing into the hallway, Elsa gasped in horror. The young Admiral was lying on the floor, eyes open as if in death. "Hans!" she exclaimed, racing to him. Well, trying. With his twelve older brothers already surrounding him, she wasn't about to get as near to him as she wanted to be. Before she knew it, Hans was being whisked off into his room, and she was following in a daze almost unable to comprehend what was going on.

 _Something in that place felt wrong…_

She stood in the room as his siblings tried to revive him, hardly aware she was there. She felt like she was looking down on this scene, not part of it. Abigail and Greta both held her tightly. It became clear soon enough that what the princes were trying wasn't working. They began to mutter quickly between themselves. The Queen didn't catch most of it, but she caught enough to know that they were discussing treatment plans. Suddenly they were hurrying out of the room to summon help for their brother. Greta followed them and Abigail left to check on her confused and worried children after muttering what sounded like soothing terms, but Elsa couldn't pick them out. It was all coming out muffled. All she saw was the young Admiral lying so very still…

The next thing she knew, she was alone with her fiancé in the room, her heart pounding in her chest. After a moment, she finally began to truly process what was going on. When that happened, she found the strength to move and approached his bedside. "Hans?" she questioned, gently placing the back of her hand to his forehead. His eyes were so dead… She swallowed, feeling ill. Almost automatically she reached out and closed them gently. She couldn't stare at them like that. It implied he was gone, but he wasn't gone, he wasn't! "Answer me, please," she softly pled. No response. "Because I won't leave until you do," she promised. And she didn't...

Frozen

Moren sat in his throne numbly, staring up at the roof. This couldn't be happening… Doctors from every nation they could convince to come had made their way to the Southern Isles to try and revive the prince. It was going on the last week or two of the month, and Hans had collapsed at the start of it. There were no signs of him getting better no matter _what_ was tried. Caleb swallowed and closed his eyes. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't supposed to happen… What had gone wrong? This wasn't part of the deal!

"I grow impatient, King of the Southern Isles," a voice suddenly said. The Ice Maiden! His eyes flew open and he sat up straight, staring at her in numb fear. "He was to break it off with Elsa long ago. Now what? She stays in his room at his side and leaves only to tend to basic needs before returning immediately. What do you think happens when he wakes up and learns of her devotion?" Moren stayed silent. She chuckled coldly before her expression turned dark. "Separate them. One way or another. If he will not obey you, and she will not leave of her own accord, then end it more permanently. Remember our deal."

"What good is he to you on death's doorstep?" Moren replied tiredly.

She smiled icily. "That is none of your concern," she answered. "Get rid of the girl by the end of this week or _I_ will. Maybe Hans will not listen to you, but make sure she _does_."

Caleb bowed his head, swallowing and closing his eyes. "What choice do I have?" he replied.

"You learn quickly," she replied, turning and leaving. Caleb massaged the bridge of his nose, willing away the guilt and fear he felt.

Frozen

Elsa laid her head on the bed watching Hans silently, waiting for any sign that he would wake up. Any sign he was _alive_ , in fact. Besides the breathing and heartbeat, that was. He would come back. He _had_ to come back. "Wake up," she whispered to him, raising her head and resting her forehead on his. "Please," she pled, voice breaking. Not even a stir. She shook her head, closing her eyes tightly and clenching her teeth. This wasn't happening. She had sung to him, read to him, told him stories, prayed and begged more times than she ever cared to admit… She tried and tried so hard. She didn't want to let him go. Not like this! All other doctors had failed. Now Mael was trying his hand, or had been, but so far no method that Lars used seemed to work, and that counted his powers. They had begun to give up… Everyone… But she wouldn't. She would never give in! He was alive… He was alive… He would come back, dammit!

"Leave. Now. You are not to go anywhere near my brother. Not anymore," a voice said from the doorway. Moren.

She gasped, looking up and over. What? What had he said? She tensed. "What?" she asked.

"I order you to go home, Elsa. You are forbidden from ever speaking to my brother again," Moren said, and he seemed so tired and… and weak? Like these words weren't the ones he wanted to speak but the ones that he had to.

"But-but what have I done? You can't think that I'm responsible for this!" she exclaimed as she rose, gesturing to Hans in despair.

"No, I don't, but that doesn't change anything. You will not marry him, Elsa. I won't allow it. You will call off the wedding. My brother isn't yours to have," Moren said.

She was quiet, stunned. She had no words. "Wh-why are you doing this?" she asked almost fearfully. "Why are you doing this?!" she repeated more demandingly. She wanted answers! What had changed? What had she done wrong?

He shook his head. "Be gone by tomorrow," he said.

"No. No, I won't leave! You have no authority to ask this of me!" she argued firmly, making herself instantly into the intimidating and powerful queen.

"You are on my land. It is by my grace your presence is even welcomed. If you aren't gone by tomorrow evening, I will have you imprisoned and executed," Moren answered, matching her intimidation easily.

She felt her heart skip a beat. "Are you out of your mind?! What's come over you, Caleb? This isn't you!" she exclaimed. He didn't meet her eyes.

"I've given you your choice. If I find you here beyond that stretch of time, I will see you killed," he said.

"Why are you doing this? It doesn't make sense! I thought you were happy for us. For _me_. I thought… I thought I meant more to you than that… And now you-you're threatening to have me imprisoned and _executed_? What happened to you? What's going on? Tell me! I can help you!"

"I said get out!" Moren roared at her, making her jump back with a gasp.

 _Get out so you can live… So_ _ **everyone**_ _can live._

"No," she finally answered in a whisper. "No… I won't leave him!"

"You little…" Moren began.

" _I_ love him too!" she cut off vehemently. "I... I love him too..." she repeated almost sounding stunned those words had departed her mouth so adamantly.

 _I love him. I_ _ **love**_ _him… Finally, you admit it without argument or restraint. At least to yourself… And to Moren…_

Moren was silent, looking momentarily stunned. Quickly, though, the expressionless look came back. Suddenly he turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind him and leaving Elsa in shock. Shivering, she covered her mouth and shook her head. What was happening? Why was he doing this? She turned to the prince and fell next to him again, burying her head in the crook of his neck and letting silent tears come. When had she become their enemy, she fearfully wondered? And what did it mean for Arendelle? Her? Her _sister_? But she wouldn't leave. Not until she knew he would be alright.

"You love him…" another voice said. Lars. She raised her head to look at him. "You love him… I thought it was only a marriage of convenience," he remarked. She was quiet. She'd thought so too… Mael shook his head and began to restlessly pace.

"I won't leave him," she said as she watched her tutor.

Mael stopped. After a moment he looked towards her. "Tomorrow either you leave or you make as if you are boarding a ship to sail for Arendelle… Except it will not be you on the ship. It will be Abigail disguised as you, if you go to her about this. If, though, you choose to defy the king at risk of your own life, then you must realize that you can never leave this room again until things have managed to be smoothed out. You can never even let your presence be known in this palace. Don't let me know what course you've chosen. As far as I or anyone else is concerned, you're leaving and never returning. If you stay or if you go, I don't want to know. Ever… If I find you, I _will_ betray your presence."

"I need food, water," she protested.

"That isn't any concern of mine anymore," Lars said.

Elsa was quiet. If she could speak to Abigail about it all, her food and water would be covered, but that was the least of her concerns right now. "Why have you made me your enemy?" she asked. Lars was quiet. Turning, he left the room without a word more. Suddenly Elsa felt so very, very alone.

 _You walk in enemy territory now… These are not your brothers anymore, they are your doom. Welcome to the den of the wolves. Now you will see what they truly are._

Frozen

Abigail listened in horror to all Elsa had said, shaking her head. It had truly gotten this bad? "Elsa, this isn't alright! Caleb can't tell you who you can or can't marry! Let me talk to Meilic. He might be able to talk sense into his brother! He…"

"He will side with his siblings. As he always has," Elsa said.

"He will side with his wife!" Abigail shot.

"There's a reason they're doing this, there has to be. I don't know what happened, but whatever it is it's bad, and if it's so bad that not even I know the reason for it, or most of the others for that matter, then yes, Meilic will side with his brothers," Elsa said. Abigail was stunned silent. "I won't leave him, Abigail. Not even on threat of death. Not when he's like this. I need you to do me a favor. I need you to pretend to be me and board the ship when it sails away. Take a lifeboat when you can and come back quickly, but not until you're out of sight. You can sail?"

"Well enough," Abigail answered. "But the sea is so unpredictable that anything could happen. For you and for Hans, though, I'll do it."

"Thank you. Don't tell anyone, Abby. I need you to get me food and water as well. His room will become my prison while I'm here. If Caleb catches me, I'm in more trouble than I care to think about," Elsa said.

"Yes my Queen, anything," Abigail answered.

"Thank you," Elsa said, hugging her. Abigail hugged her back. "You're so brave."

"Not half as much as you I think, my dear," Abigail replied, drawing back and smiling at the younger woman gently. Elsa smiled back, nodding, then went to return to her fiancé's room.

Frozen

As Elsa neared Hans's chambers, she saw Greta approaching the room and stiffened. Oh no. Not now. She frowned before taking a breath and willing herself not to be bitter. She approached the woman. "Greta," she greeted.

"Queen Elsa, has he awakened?" Greta questioned worriedly, turning to her.

"No," she answered, bowing her head to hide the flash of pain that reflected in her eyes.

"But he will, right?" Greta asked.

"I… I don't know," Elsa answered, looking up at her.

"Oh Elsa…" Greta gently said. "I'm sorry."

Elsa nodded. "I should write Anna and Kristoff," she remarked. Actually, right now that might not be a good idea, with things as tumultuous as they currently were. "Or not," she added.

Greta tensed. "Kristoff?" she asked quickly, tone somehow… different? Elsa looked curiously at her. "Who's Kristoff?"

"My brother-in-law. He's an ice harvester in Arendelle. He married my sister, Anna," Elsa answered.

"What?" Greta asked, and Elsa actually started at the icy tone in her voice.

"Are you feeling okay, Greta? You're acting like the name's familiar to you," Elsa said. Greta was silent. Suddenly she turned, quickly walking away. "Greta? Greta, what's wrong? Greta!" Elsa called. The woman didn't turn. "Weird," Elsa said out loud, confused now and more than a little uneasy. Something was definitely going on. Something far deeper than she knew.

 _Next Morning_

Elsa watched from the window of the prince's room as the ship bearing 'her' away from this place pulled away from the docks. Now she was on her own. If she was spotted or caught at any time from here on out by anyone but Abigail, she would be treated as an enemy and dealt with like one. She drew a breath, shutting the curtains and resting her head against them, closing her eyes. This was happening… This was really happening. She heard footsteps and looked towards the door. Quickly she hurried into hiding, concealing herself under the Prince's bed. She lay as still as she possibly could, all but holding her breath.

The princes entered, all twelve of them. "Why did she go?" Iscawin questioned.

"Because she did," Caleb answered.

"That isn't an answer, Moren!" Duach protested immediately. "How could she do this to him?!"

"What, you think she actually gave a damn about our brother? He was a marriage of convenience to her and all of you know it!" Moren snapped sharply. Elsa cringed and resisted the urge to immediately protest and tell him how wrong he was. Even if _she'd_ only recently realized how wrong he was _herself_.

"That-that bit…" Rhun began before cutting himself off. No, he wasn't going to sink to that level. No. "Slut," he finished. So much for _that_. He immediately regretted how that word tasted in his mouth. Especially when applied to her, because truth be told, he felt far more hurt than angry with her.

"I thought… We trusted her…" Kelin-Sel sadly said, and Elsa felt like sobbing to hear the pain in his voice. "And now she just leaves? When our brother is like this? When he needs her most she just…?" He trailed off, shaking his head. He didn't want to finish the thought.

"Turns out Hans was right all along. No happily ever afters for the princes of the Southern Isles," Franz bitterly said. "I hope she drowns out there."

"Do you?" Lars asked, not able to take hearing this anymore. Franz was quiet and didn't answer. No… No, he didn't. He drew a shaky breath, closing his eyes.

"Whatever the matter of it, she has made us her enemy," Caleb said finally, though his voice was quiet. "There will be no further alliance with Arendelle.

"You can't do that! What if this is all just a misunderstanding?" Iscawin immediately demanded, pale.

"Just shut up, Iscawin. Please," Connyn said. "Damn your crush on her. Look at what she's done. We will _not_ take that sitting down."

"Surely she had a reason!" Iscawin argued. "This isn't me speaking only from my crush on her, I'm speaking from common sense! That isn't the sort of person she is and you know it, all of you! Something's wrong, it has to be, and we're just turning our backs on her? Like that?"

"When I tell you that Arendelle is our enemy, Arendelle is our enemy," Caleb darkly warned his brother. "Don't make me drive it home to you in less pleasant ways." Iscawin was silent, though Elsa saw him nervously shift from under the bed.

 _He is scaring them too… They know something is off._

"Tell us you've made progress on Hans, Lars. Please," Calcas said to Mael, changing the subject smoothly.

Again Mael was quiet. "No," he finally answered. "Nothing I do is working and I don't understand why! He's healthy. There is nothing wrong with him at all. No sickness, no weakness, no heart problems, nothing… He just won't wake up."

"He will. He _has_ to," Caleb said. The Ice Maiden continued to speak of Hans like it was certain he would return, so surely it would come to be, right? But if this was something totally unrelated, then what? Then he had made a very powerful enemy, _that's_ what. Two powerful enemies… And somehow he doubted Elsa would be so forgiving this time. He shook his head. This situation was costing him more than he was willing to pay as it was, but it was still a lesser price than the lives of his children, his brothers, and his people all… Unless in the long run it cost him all of that anyway… He dared not think about such a possibility. Of course, it wouldn't make said possibility go away, but if nothing else it would help him focus on the here and now instead of worrying about the future on top of the present.

Finally, the brothers left. Elsa waited a while longer then came out of hiding, holding her body close and bowing her head. She looked towards the prince. "I wish you were here," she said to him gently. "I wish _Anna_ was here." She hated this loneliness and emptiness. It reminded her too much of all those years spent isolating herself. Steeling her resolve, though, she determined to see this through. She could live through a little bit more isolation. It wasn't like she was new to it. Soon enough it would end, right? She hoped…

Frozen

Meanwhile, the Ice Maiden paced restlessly in the gardens. Kristoff. She hadn't stopped thinking about Elsa's words all night. Kristoff. That was the name of the little boy she had kissed but not to death. Was it possible that this Kristoff was…? She scowled. Of course it was. She felt it was. It was nice to think of something other than Vertigo and how to lure Hans away from Elsa, occasionally, but did that 'something other' need to be Kristoff?! Oh, she would have that boy, mark her well. One day he would be hers. She just had to…

Suddenly she found herself in the cavern where the troll king resided. She looked around quickly and a chill ran up her spine. Oh no… "You stupid, defiant whore," Carabis's voice said.

 _He knows…_

She quickly hid the momentary panic and turned coldly. "What?" she icily asked.

"You thought you could take him for yourself, did you?" Carabis sneered. The Ice Maiden was silent. "Do you think I'm blind to what happens with my own mirror?" he pressed. She shifted uneasily. "Answer me!" he roared, crossing the distance between them and throwing her up against the wall, a hand wrapped around her throat. She gasped and cried out in pain, eyes widening in fear. It was best, she knew, not to reply. "Well now you pay the price for your attempted betrayal. He will never be free again, do you hear me, maiden?! He will never be free! His essence may roam eternally, but his form will forever be imprisoned in the mirror, and his voice. You will never hear him again. Never speak to him or see him again!

"Carabis, please!" she begged, terror shooting through her. "I'm sorry! I beg you! I'll do whatever you please, just don't take him from me! No!"

"Never cross the fae," Carabis hissed. "You'll do whatever I say regardless! If, that is, you want him to keep existing in any sort of tangible form! I can't erase the sense of vertigo from this world, but I can erase all that made him sentient."

"No!" she screamed.

"Then do what I say when I say to do it and how I say to do it. Your time is limited now, Ice Maiden. You have until the end of this week to turn that prince back into the monster he chose to be! Deliver him to me, or so help me the last you'll know of Vertigo will be his anguished screams as I rip him apart!" Carabis roared, throwing her violently to the ground. She coughed and gasped for breath, holding her throat. "Go!" he shouted. She screamed as a light consumed her. Her eyes flew open and she found herself back in the palace. She gave an anguished cry, covering her mouth and sobbing. No… No more games. This ended now! Shakily rising, she scowled. "Fine. No more waiting. She'd given them all the chances in the world. It was time to kick them into action. Oh the price they would pay for resisting her… There would be mourning echoing in the palace soon enough, and Hans… Hans would be hers.

She walked towards the nursery Abigail and Jürgen's children slept in. She pushed open the door and saw the little ones playing, Abigail watching. "Oh Abigail, you work so hard for those darlings. Let me watch them for a while. Goodness knows you could use a break," she said.

"I could at that. It's almost their bedtime, though. I'd hate for you to have to…" Abigail began.

"Oh, it's no trouble. I'll happily put them to bed. Go spend some time with your husband," Greta said.

"I will. Thank you, Greta. Darlings, Miss Greta will watch you for a while now. Mommy has to take a bit of a break," Abigail said, turning to her children with a gentle smile.

"Yes mama," David replied, he and Kenan busy trying to teach Cameron how to properly stack blocks. Abigail smiled at them then left.

Frozen

When the young prince's heart stopped, and his breath died in his throat, Elsa felt like her heart had plummeted into a bottomless hole. "Hans, Hans, wake up! Don't do this! Please don't do this!" she pled, shaking him frantically. She tried to revive him, but it became apparent quickly that it wouldn't work. He needed help and he needed it now! It would betray her position, yes. More than that it might very well doom her to death, but she had to try! He couldn't die. No, he couldn't die! Not again! She wouldn't lose him again! Turning, she raced from the room. "Help! Help, someone! The prince is in trouble!" she shouted out. Racing from the room, she rushed to find Lars.

It was Jürgen, Abigail, Lars, and Moren alone who heard her calls. Abigail caught her breath, covering her mouth and shaking her head in denial. No… Jürgen looked stunned and turned quickly to his brothers. The moment he saw the expressions on their faces, how pale Mael had become and how suddenly exhausted and broken Caleb seemed, that they had been keeping something from him. Something far too big to have had any business being kept secret. "That's Elsa… Caleb, Lars, what's going on?" he asked. They looked at him quietly. Suddenly Mael turned and raced to reach the Queen.

Caleb closed his eyes. "Guards, follow Prince Lars to the Snow Queen! When you catch her, arrest her and bring her here. She is to be given fifteen lashes then locked in the dungeons… I will decide what to do with her presently." If he could help it, though, the sentence wouldn't be death. If there was some way to trick the Ice Maiden… He knew he was only kidding himself. Gods, he could hardly even bear to utter the words 'fifteen lashes' let alone death, and fifteen lashes was the absolute least he could hope to get away with according to the law.

"What? Caleb, what are you doing?! What's going on?!" Jürgen demanded immediately as the guards raced to obey the king. Abigail sobbed. "What have you done?!" Meilic demanded again. Caleb looked over to him and Jürgen stiffened. His brother was near to tears… That was never, never good. Caleb didn't cry. Not unless it was for a damn good reason. He looked so helpless… That look did not befit his brother. "What have you done?" Jürgen repeated another time, more calmly with voice hollow. Moren sobbed, covering his mouth and shaking his head. Immediately he told a pale and suddenly sick-with-fear looking Jürgen and Abigail everything. The moment he'd finished, Abigail fled the room without a word to check on her children, terrified for them. "Abby, wait!" Jürgen called. She didn't stop, the full realization of this crashing down on her.

 _She'd left her babies with that woman…_

Frozen

Abigail burst into the room in terror and caught her breath. Greta was sitting by the bed the children were all laying in, humming and reading a book. She looked up at the mother and smiled. "Shh… The children are sleeping," she said.

"Oh god!" Abigail exclaimed, racing to the bed and looking down at her children in fear. Her heart began to slow when she saw them all alive and well.

"What's the matter, Abigail? Did something happen? Why are you so afraid?" Greta asked.

Shaking, Abigail swallowed and turned to the woman, putting on a smile. "I'm sorry, Greta. I just… I was napping and had a nightmare that they were gone, and I… I needed to check on them… Thank you, but I think I'll stay with my children for a while now."

"Of course, Abigail. Enjoy every minute you have left with them," Greta replied, and something in her voice and in her eyes… Abigail's smile feel to a look of fear.

 _She knew what she'd done for Elsa…_

She opened her mouth to cry out! But she never got the chance…

Frozen

Mael tried desperately to bring Hans back, tears blurring his vision. Long ago he would have given up had Elsa not been screaming to him to keep trying despite the guards that had seized her and were trying to pull her away. Hans was alive, she kept saying over and over through her tears. Hans was still alive! He _had_ to still be alive!

 _She's lying to herself… You're lying to yourself too… He's gone. You feel and see that he is gone…_

He heard Elsa begging for Hans to come back, but it was in vain. Nonetheless, Mael kept trying. He had to! This was the baby of his baby brothers, for goodness sake! He was still so young. He heard Elsa cry out in pain as finally a guard who had had enough of her struggling struck the back of her head violently, knocking her unconscious. He closed his eyes and swallowed, trying desperately to seem indifferent and pretend he hadn't heard it. The doors shut and he was left alone with his brother. When finally rigor mortis set in, he gave up and fell over his brother weeping...


	12. The Ice Maiden's Puppets

The Ice Maiden's Puppets

Elsa opened her eyes, staring up at the prison roof from the prison cot as she remembered the events that had transpired. She swallowed numbly. From snippets of conversation she'd heard, Mael had tried to revive Hans until rigor mortis was setting in, at which point he'd given up. Elsa shook her head, grimacing. It wasn't true. He was alive… He was still alive! He… he was alive… She was suddenly aware, again, of the stinging in her back from the lashes she'd been given. Drawing a breath, she gingerly rolled off them and hissed in pain when they were disturbed. This wasn't happening to her… Why did she even keep trying to deny it anymore? This was happening. Oh _how_ this was happening.

"Queen Elsa," a voice said.

She looked up quickly and her eyes widened in surprise. "Greta?" she asked, rising in surprise. Greta was the _last_ person she'd expected to see here.

"I can't believe it. They did this to you?" Greta asked, eyes wide in horror.

Elsa cringed and bowed her head. She swallowed over a lump in her throat then looked back up. "Is the prince truly gone?" she asked in a whisper, avoiding the question. Mostly because she didn't want to have to think about it.

Greta was silent, and Elsa felt her heart sinking. "No," she finally replied. Elsa quickly perked up, eyes wide in hope. "When the coroner went up to fetch his body for burial, he found Hans alive and well and about to exit. The poor man nearly had a heart attack when he saw him… Hans is alive."

Elsa gasped, feeling her knees buckle but stubbornly forcing herself to stay up. "Really? Are you certain?"

"I am," Greta replied, smiling. "But right now, he isn't the priority. The priority is helping you escape. Let me help you, Elsa. You don't belong here. You don't deserve to be here! What they did… It isn't okay!"

"Get Hans. He'll talk them into letting me out," Elsa said.

"I'll do whatever it takes," Greta replied.

"Thank you, Greta," Elsa replied.

Frozen

His brothers gawked at him in stunned disbelief, tears burning their eyes. He was alive. He was there! He was… he was alive. "What? No onslaught of hugs and tears?" Hans lamely teased, smiling at them. There were tears almost immediately the moment those words left his mouth. The first ones he'd said to them. It was about thirty minutes of straight questions and examinations and touchy-feeliness that he was torn between hating and loving before things were finally calm enough for him to get a word in edgewise that didn't pertain to his miraculous recovery from 'death'. They had really thought he was gone? Of course, after hearing what had happened, even _he_ was starting to think he might have been dead, but that was beside the point.

"I'm back. I'm really and truly back," he soothed and assured for about the thousandth time; and that wasn't an exaggeration either. They were almost the only words he'd been saying through everything. Some of his siblings were even on their knees and clinging to him, _that_ was how overwhelmed they were. He waited patiently until finally they'd composed themselves enough to start functioning again. "Where's Elsa?" he asked.

When the first reactions he saw ranged from sadness and betrayal to rage and disgust, he started, frowning. What was this now? "She left," Moren finally said. "When she believed that it was apparent you would never awaken, she left to pursue a marriage with someone else. Likely with your friend Edvard Collin, if I were to guess… I'm sorry, Hans… In the end, you were just a marriage of convenience after all."

"What? What are you talking about? She was there the whole time. The coroner told me so," Hans said.

The others sharply looked up. Or most of them. Except three, that was. The three eldest. "He confused Elsa for Greta. Greta was the one who stayed by you," Moren said.

Hans blinked in shock. "No. No, you're wrong! He called her by name, Caleb, are you kidding me right now? The man knows who Elsa is," he replied immediately. Of course, he couldn't actually _remember_ if the man had used Elsa's name, he believed he had though wasn't certain, but a dark feeling was creeping up on him. A feeling that screamed deceit and warned him to call the bluff. Sharply the others looked at Moren. Except Jürgen and Lars, both of which were looking guiltily down.

"What is he saying, Caleb? We saw her leave. We saw her board the ship and sail away!" Franz said.

Justic, though, suddenly stiffened, eyes widening in realization. "Who of us actually saw her face?" he asked suddenly. They all sharply looked at him, eyes wide. What? Quickly they turned back to the King, who stood utterly still.

"What have you done, Caleb?" Hans asked, pale. What the heck had been happening while he was out?!

For a long moment Moren was silent. Finally, though, he answered, tone darker than any they'd ever heard from him for a very, very long time, "I warned you what would happen to her if you didn't break off your engagement."

Hans's eyes widened as a chill shot down his spine. The others gawked at Moren in horror and uncertainty. What was going on? Hans didn't even pause to demand answers. Immediately he turned and raced from the throne room, bee-lining for the dungeon as fast as he could possibly go, near panic. No, no, no, this wasn't happening. No, no, no, no, no! He couldn't be serious, he couldn't! "Elsa!" he shouted. "Elsa!"

As his calls faded, the others turned on Caleb expressions ranging from hurt to rage to betrayal and everything in between. "What's going on, Caleb?! What have you done?!" Runo bellowed in rage.

"Where is the Queen?!" Rudi chimed in agreement, equally as enraged and looking ready to tear into their oldest brother.

Moren looked over his siblings in something between fear and despair. He shook his head desperately. No, no more of this. No more lies, dammit, no more! Immediately he broke down, confessing everything to them. He should have done so long ago. They listened in numb shock and horror, scarcely daring to believe their ears. Oh gods… This was so very bad. By the end of the story, they were at a complete and total loss.

Frozen

Hans raced down into the dungeon as quickly as he could. "Prince Hans!" the guards exclaimed in terror and shock on seeing him.

"Yes, I'm alive, yes the rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated! Now where's the Queen of Arendelle? What have you done with her?!" Hans demanded.

"My Lord, we did all your brother ordered," a guardsman replied.

"What did he order, damn you?!" Hans shouted.

"We-we… He ordered her to be imprisoned and given fifteen lashes!" the other frazzled guard answered.

"Out of my way!" Hans shouted, shoving passed them. So Moren hadn't ordered her executed yet. That was something, at least. It meant she was still okay. He raced through the dungeon looking into every cell, frantic to catch sight of her blond hair. "Elsa? Elsa!" he shouted.

Frozen

Elsa paced in her cell rubbing her arms. Not because she was cold or anything, but she was _so_ cold. In another way. She froze on hearing his voice, eyes widening in hope. She gasped, turning to the bars of her cell. She heard him call again. "Hans, I'm here!" she cried out, racing to the bars and grabbing them. She had half a mind to freeze them and break herself out, except Mael must have suspected an attempt like that, because there was something about this cell… Something that kept her powers from working like they should. She would have damned the sorcerer if she had cared any less for him than she did.

Hans heard her cry and reached the cell in moments. "Elsa!" he exclaimed, covering her hands with his own.

"You're alive!" she exclaimed in relief, removing her hands from his then taking them again, their fingers entwining together.

"What happened? Why has he put you here?!" Hans demanded.

"I don't know," she answered. "Hans, I don't know. Just a week ago he seemed to change. He ordered me to abandon you. To call off the wedding and leave the Southern Isles within the week. When I refused he told me that if I didn't go, he would have me imprisoned and executed. I tried to get him to tell me why. Why had he changed so much? What was scaring him? I tried to get him to tell me _anything_ , but he didn't! But I couldn't leave. Not when you were like that! Abigail left in my place to trick them into believing I'd gone, but when your heart stopped and your breathing… I couldn't let you die! I ran to get help and betrayed my position, and now here we are. I don't know what's happening or what's going on with Moren. I don't know anything!"

"That makes two of us," Hans darkly said, inwardly seething to hear this. Oh Moren was going to hear it big time. He looked at her. "You're so cold… Colder than usual, I mean," he remarked. "Not that you're… Ugh, I'm getting into cliché territory here. I hate cliché. Sorry."

She smirked. "You broke cliché when you started stammering out excuses," she replied. "I don't know why I feel so cold, but hey, the cold never bothered me anyway," she added, giving him a wry smile.

He smirked back before becoming serious again. "I'll get you out of here. I promise," he said to her, gently cupping her cheek. He could feel the enchantment on these bars and found himself damning Lars. Or _was_ it Lars? It felt… different. Disturbingly so.

"I know," she whispered, squeezing his hands a little tighter.

"Have the lash… have the lashes been treated?" he asked. He stumbled on the word 'lashes'. To know what they'd done to her… To say he was infuriated would be an understatement.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head and biting her lip in frustration as she was again made acutely aware of how badly they stung.

"Dammit," Hans whispered. "Whatever it takes I'll see you freed from this prison. We'll work it out, I promise you we will."

"I know," she said.

"I'll try to get a doctor down here to examine you," he said. "I _will_ get you out, my lady queen." He knew he'd repeated that many times already, but he just wanted to keep repeating it again and again until she was free once more.

She smiled at him gratefully. "I'll count the minutes," she teased.

He smiled gently back and rested his forehead against the bars. She mimicked the action and for a moment there was silence. "Why is it that it always must be a near death experience to get things back on track with us?" he wondered after a moment.

She laughed gently and grinned, closing her eyes. She shook her head in response. She didn't know. She hated it, though. She drew back, looking up at him. "Hurry," she pled. He bowed to her then quickly pulled away, hurrying to the stairs to go and confront Moren about this outrage.

In the darkness, a figure listened. As the prince walked by, she stepped out of hiding. Greta. Coldly she glared after him. This would never do, she decided. Action had to be taken. She disappeared into an icy mirror to go to Moren.

Frozen

When 'Greta' materialized in the throne room, she was greeted with the glaring eyes and drawn swords of the Princes of the Southern Isles minus Hans. Immediately she saw that the story had been betrayed to the siblings. She scowled darkly at Moren, unimpressed. "You have made a grave mistake, King of the Southern Isles," she eerily threatened. "Do you know what you've cost yourself?" Moren blanched, terror springing to his expression.

"It's cost him nothing. Nor will it," Rhun darkly said. "His children have been hidden away." Well, they hadn't yet. Or maybe they had. He wasn't sure. He'd sent a message via courier and carrier pigeon both to the king's eldest child. It instructed the heir to the throne to take his siblings, separate them all into three triads, and send each triad somewhere different. One triad would go to his own wife and children, one triad would go to Duach's wife, and the third triad would go to Justic's. That way, if the worst happened, at least there was a chance of three of Moren's nine little ones surviving. "You've lost your leverage, and this ends _now_."

"It's over, Ice Maiden. Either you leave or you draw your last breaths in this hour," Franz darkly said.

She smiled and chuckled darkly. "You really think you've won? Think again!" she viciously replied. "I will see you all pay for your audacity! Do you really think they can hide from _me_? Do you really think you can protect your families and your kingdom from _me_? By having me murdered? Go on. Test me." She saw the signs of unease and uncertainty and smirked. "You're mine. _All_ of you. Because I hold leverage over you that you cannot hope to overcome."

"We will see you hang!" Jürgen shot.

"Where is your wife, Meilic?" the Ice Maiden purred. Jürgen stiffened, going white. "And your babies?" He felt every wall he'd erected around himself crumble. Oh god… Oh _god_! He broke.

"Abby! Abigail!" he shouted, racing off. The others, flustered, watched after him.

The Ice Maiden smiled at them coldly. "Aren't you curious about your sister-in-law and your nephews and nieces?" she asked. They stood numb, unsure how to respond. All at once they raced after their brother. She smiled to herself and followed at a leisurely walk. As much as she hated Carabis, the hobgoblin knew how to punish insolence. She'd learned a good bit from him, if nothing else.

Frozen

Jürgen raced to the children's nursery and froze, gasping. The door was iced over. "No! Dammit no!" he shouted, immediately starting to hack viciously at it. It hardly dented the blockage, but it began to part regardless. The Ice Maiden's doing, no doubt. He threw open the door and froze in place, mouth dropping in horror. No… No, no, no, no! A scream tried so very hard to tear from his throat, but no sound came out. She lay on the ground, Abigail. Her every breath was shaky and strained. Finally the scream came and Jürgen leapt across the room, falling at her side and gathering her into his arms. "Abby! Abigail, look at me. Darling, please. My love, look at me!"

Shivering violently, skin icy with crystals and hair frozen, she slowly opened her eyes, almost iced shut. Quivering, her hand reached up to his cheek falling on it. The touch was so cold… "Our-our bab-babies…" she said, shaking. He saw the tears frozen on her face, the anguish in her eyes, and he didn't need to ask. She became still, a last breath slipping passed her lips before all movement stopped. Jürgen looked at her numbly then turned to the bed in fear. Shaking, he gently lowered her down then crawled over to it. He swallowed, lifting himself up. Three little figures hidden beneath the covers, so very still…

He gave a strangled cry and broke down, collapsing onto the covers and weeping shamelessly. He didn't need to look to know what he would see. He screamed in anguish, pulling the little bundles close to him and holding them near, though he didn't let the blankets fall and show what had happened to them. They were so cold and stiff…

Mael gagged, nearly vomiting as he remembered in utter agony seeing the bodies of his own babies and wife. Moren stood pale. "Th-there's only three bodies. There's only three!" Connyn finally managed to blurt out, trying desperately to find something to cling to in this.

Jürgen choked back a sob and laid the three figures down gently. He reached for the blankets and paused. He didn't want to see. He didn't want to see! He sobbed, turning away and curling up into a near-fetal position, burying his face in the pillow. Duach's jaw twitched and he marched over quickly, throwing back the covers. He swallowed. "Madeline and Cameron are missing," he hollowly said.

"Those were their names? I never could get them right. Let's see. Lucile, dead, David, dead, Kenan, dead… Tsk, tsk, it won't be easy for Madeline to live without her twin," the Ice Maiden said, and Duach gasped as he felt an icy chill shoot through him. She was killing him, he realized in terror!

"No!" Rhun exclaimed in terror. "Please, no, please!" The Ice Maiden stopped and Duach gasped, quickly moving away from the bed to look at the woman in terror. She'd just threatened to freeze him to death!

"See? _You_ two get it," the Ice Maiden said with a laugh. "I did intend to freeze them all, but Abigail was no easy fight. A mother bear protecting her young. Lucile put up a struggle too, and David. They tried to get Kenan out, but they couldn't. It was so sad. Madeline trying so hard to hold her brother's hand and pull him with her while she held the toddler's away. She screamed her siblings' names over and over, and all Cameron could do was weep and shriek for daddy. I tried to get them, but Kenan—oh your little ones were so very brave, Meilic, it was precious. They were definitely their daddy's babies—he moved in front of my icy blast and his last words were screaming at his twin to run and hide with Cameron... But they couldn't hide from _me_... Unfortunately, they didn't have to. That Madeline, she's a smart cookie you know. I should have guessed from the way she was all but idolizing her uncle the great sorcerer that she'd assume she was safe in his room with Cameron. And she was, you clever, clever man, Lars. Enchanting your room to keep it safe from rival powers," the Ice Maiden said.

Jürgen, shaking with rage. Suddenly leapt up and lunged at her with an enraged scream. It took all three triplets to hold him back, plus the twins… And the Ice Maiden just laughed and laughed. "They're alive?" Iscawin asked in a whisper.

"They are. And they'll remain that way. I think I've made my point… Oh, I've made it doubly now… Ooh, triply. Did you really think you could hide away your brother's children with your families and that I wouldn't find them?" the Ice Maiden asked. Rather, that _Carabis_ wouldn't. He was having a field day right now, she knew.

Frozen

Rhun blanched, and Duach, and Justic. "Where is my wife?" Duach finally managed to whisper. The Ice Maiden chuckled. "Where is my wife?!" he freaked out, thanking god he'd never gotten around to having children. He'd always been busy with his duties as the military General. There had been no room for children in his life. Rather, he hadn't had time to even _consider_ it. And he certainly hadn't been at home as much as he would have liked, as of late. To be with... with her...

"Dead. And with her, the three would-be heirs of the Southern Isles she tried to protect." Duach felt himself trembling, tears burning his eyes. All at once he sobbed, covering his mouth and shaking his head in denial.

 _No… No!_

The Ice Maiden turned to Rhun. "And you… Relish in your widower status as well. The three heirs you hid away with her are no more… Neither is _she_ … Or the children she bore you. Well, not entirely true. 'Ladybird, ladybird fly away home, your house is on fire and your children all gone. All except one, and her name is Ann, and she hid under the baking pan,'" she sang. Rhun collapsed, vision going black. Oh gods… Gods no! Dammit, no, no, no! He shook his head frantically. No, no, no, no… He tried to scream in anguish, but no sound came out. Instead he whimpered, holding his head in his hands and shaking it. No. No, no, no. He gave a sob and a cry. "And yours…" the Ice Maiden continued, looking at Justic who stood unmoving, tears in his eyes though they hadn't started to fall. "Well, she's proving difficult, but make no mistake, she'll be next and all your children _with_ her, as well as your eldest brother's last three heirs, if you defy me any longer."

"No, I beg you, please!" Justic begged immediately.

The Ice Maiden laughed and turned to the King, who had gone as white as a ghost. Tears slipped down his cheeks silently as it registered with him all that had been taken from him. "You… Six of nine children dead. Wife dead. You're too broken to weep… How pathetic," she said. "Tsk, tsk, you never even got to say goodbye. They longed for you, prayed one day they would see you again and feel their father's warm embrace. They spoke of how they would one day go to you if you did not send for them, no matter what dangers lay ahead, because together they could do whatever it took to see daddy again… They cried out for you, you know… You and one another. And their dead mother… Carabis didn't make it painless." Moren caught his breath, closing his eyes tightly, sniffing and willing back the sobs he wanted to break down into. His brothers' cries and sobs of misery and anguish echoed in his head.

 _Despite it all, you failed… You failed… You failed because you had the damned defiance to disobey her orders. Because you couldn't just give in. One simple command and it could have all been avoided. One simple order… They would still be alive! They would all still be alive!_

 _Would they, King of the Southern Isles? Would they?_

A sob escaped his lips, unbidden, and he buried his face in his hands. There was no use denying it, no use in screaming no a million times to the sky or making bargains… They were gone… Just gone… His babies were gone… "Your heir hid away with Justic's wife, so you still have the oldest one, at least. And the brother and sister that went with him. But you test me so, King of the Southern Isles. You've been testing me all along. No more delaying! No more trying to protect the Snow Queen. You will sentence her to death or I will strip you all of your families, your kingdom, and each other!" the Ice Maiden threatened. None of them graced her with an answer. Instead, those who were not mourning lunged in a fury, intent on cutting her to pieces. "No! I don't think so!" she suddenly yelled, stretching out her hand towards the King. Moren cried out in pain, freezing in place and doubling over. The others slid to a stop, looking quickly back. Moren gasped then started to collapse.

"Moren!" Coth exclaimed, racing to his sibling. He was _not_ ready for Jürgen to be king, thank you very much! Quickly he caught his brother. Then he caught his breath. The ruler was freezing cold! "What are you doing to him?!" Coth demanded, sharply turning to the Ice Maiden.

She smiled coldly. "Freezing him from the inside out," she answered. "I believe it's his intestines turning to ice now. Then it will be his stomach, liver, kidneys… Lungs and heart… Now be good boys and put those sharp little swords away." They didn't move for a moment, but when Moren gave a strangled gasp and choking sob, the swords were quickly replaced. "Good. Now if you don't comply with my orders, then unlike when your baby _brother_ collapsed, your king's collapse will be permanent. My demands are clear. Elsa dies. Elsa dies, and little Hans is given to me. You won't interfere or try to save her, or him for that matter. As far as any of you are concerned, Elsa is doomed, and Hans… Well, I'm still figuring that out."

"My lady, please! Anything you ask we'll do, just leave her be!" Iscawin pled.

"Oh, how sweet. You're in love with her too. Precious. If I had a heart maybe I _would_ consider letting her live for you. But I don't. And soon your brother King won't either," she warned.

 _You once had **something** of a heart. If only for one being._

"We'll do it!" Calcas exclaimed in a panic, looking at her quickly and desperately. Right now, he was the only one on the hierarchy who was in any position to agree to terms anymore. All the others were consumed by grief. Or in Franz's case, who should really be making the calls right now, in a state of deep shock. With his older brothers indisposed, he was next in line to make decisions this massive. "Anything you ask, my lady, anything! Even… even _this_ …" Even though for all they knew it could cost them the Southern Isles anyway. Arendelle was not an enemy you wanted to make, given how many nations besides the Isles had sworn to stand for it.

"This isn't right. We can't do this to Elsa!" Kelin-Sel protested.

"The clock is ticking, boys," the Ice Maiden warned.

Moren whimpered and sharply Kelin-Sel looked back. The King's eyes were barely open anymore. "Alright," he said in a breath. "Alright!"

"Alright," Connyn and Coth answered together.

"Alright," Iscawin said in barely a whisper, head hung and eyes tightly shut. But damn him if he participated in the sentencing process… In fact, it was the _last_ thing he intended to do. Hans needed to know about this. All of it. Iscawin looked up, meeting the eyes of his brothers. They knew it as well. So Hans would be found. By him, the triplets, and Kelin-Sel, if none of the others could function properly right now.

"Good," the Ice Maiden whispered. Suddenly she released her spell on Caleb and the King cried out in pain and shock as he felt the freezing feeling pull from his body like part of him was being torn out. He passed out in Coth's arms and the brothers stared numbly. There was no escape… And the price they had paid had become too great already…

Frozen

"What?" Hans asked.

"You can't speak to him, Hans. The King isn't well," Duach, the first older brother to get back into a semi-functioning state after everything, besides Justic that was, numbly said. Not that he was one to talk about the king feeling unwell. He didn't look much healthier, face pale and expression anguished.

 _Gone… She was gone… He would never hold his beloved again in his arms… The future he had planned with her, all the things they'd spoken of and promised… Oh gods…_

Rhun had made immediately for his home to rescue his last child the moment the Ice Maiden let them go... He prayed his brother would make it...

"No surprise. Look at the thing he's done!" Hans shot. "Let me in, now!"

"Hans, you don't understand. He isn't even awake. He collapsed in the throne room and hasn't stirred since," Duach said with a choking gasp as he fought back a sob. "It's almost like… Like when _you_ fell… Not as bad, but… You can't speak to the king, that's final. Even if you tried you couldn't."

Hans stared, eyes wide in shock. What was even going on anymore? He looked towards the door worriedly. "Has a doctor been summoned?" he asked after a moment.

"Not yet," Duach answered in a harsh whisper.

Hans was quiet. "I'll ride to get one," he soon said. "Moren needs to be tended. I don't know if Mael can help him. And the minute he can function, he's going to release Elsa or so help me." Agitatedly Hans turned, walking quickly away to fetch the doctor. He damned the fact that as long as Moren was still alive Jürgen didn't have the authority to have political prisoners released. Duach watched after him.

 _Had Hans even noticed his pain…? Or had he just not cared...?_

Frozen

No sooner had the youngest prince left the palace grounds when Moren awoke with a gasp, heart beating and eyes darting around in terror and shock and anguish and confusion all. "You will get up now. You will have the Queen brought to you and condemned. No delaying, no arguing. You don't have long to carry this out. Hans intends to have a long talk with you, but he will be too late. I'll be sure of it. Seal the order with your signet ring. I know how binding an order such as that is. Not even you can repeal it. At least not without jumping through a million or so hoops, and even then it's testy, isn't it my Lord? Go. Now. Remember what is at stake. What happened to you will befall the first brother of yours I see if you don't obey, but that brother won't awaken. Nor will your children. You have one chance. Rise. Now." Moren didn't stop to argue. As quickly as he could he got out of bed and hurried to obey the Ice Maiden's command, though the misery he felt in his heart almost made him wish he hadn't woken up. On the other hand, he wouldn't wish this responsibility on Jürgen for the life of him. On any of them for that matter. This was his agony and guilt and shame to bear.

 _Forgive me, Hans. Forgive me, Elsa._


	13. Stirring Monster

Stirring Monster

Jürgen sat in Mael's room silently, holding Madeline and Cameron tightly in his arms. Protectively. They had cried themselves to sleep. Cameron didn't understand, but Madeline… She got the idea… She understood that she would never see mommy again, never talk to Kenan again, or have Lucile do her hair, or play pranks on David.

Lars was silent, eyes shut. He had never wanted his siblings to suffer what he had… "They'll be safe here," he finally whispered to the pirate king. And he was taking every possible measure to get all the other family members of his brothers here as well, though he held out little hope it would pan through. Jürgen was silent, gently stroking his daughter's hair and his son's back.

"I'm hardly at home as it is. How can I hope to take care of them? When Madeline is older, when she starts to bleed, how the _hell_ do I explain what's happening to her? How would I talk to her about intimacy? About men? About _anything_? And Cameron… I don't even know what to do anymore," he whispered hoarsely. Lars was silent. He could offer nothing… He knew nothing that he could say would make this better… Instead he sniffed and went to sit next to his older brother. He leaned against his shoulder mournfully and was silent. Being there for their mourning siblings was the best any of them could do at this point… Oh god, how had things gotten so _bad_ …? When they were summoned to the throne room, they left wordlessly together.

Frozen

She was brought before the brothers in chains, more than a little scared though you would never guess it from her disposition. She held her head high and proud and gave no signs of anything she was feeling inside. She knew well how to conceal and not feel. She knew painfully well. She had hoped she would never have to again… It seemed that wasn't the fate of a ruler, though. She wondered, briefly, how often it was that _Caleb_ concealed and didn't feel. She took in the throne room silently, eyes sparkling coldly. Iscawin wasn't there, she noted. Nor was Kelin-Sel, Calcas, Connyn, Coth, or… or even Hans… Where was Hans? He had said he would set her free, but this…? She knew in her heart that this wasn't going to lead to her freedom.

"Your fate has been decided," Caleb said.

"Not even a trial, my lord?" she bitterly asked.

"No," Moren answered. "Why waste money on the sham it would be? Regardless, your fate will be the same."

"Will you not even tell me what I've done wrong?" she hissed angrily and disgustedly, forcing back the tears.

 _Conceal don't feel, don't let them know._

Moren was silent. "Queen Elsa… you are on this day condemned to suffer twenty-five lashes and soon after be put to death by pyre and stake," he said.

 _I am so, so sorry… But one life or many…_

Elsa felt like she'd been struck. She felt like breaking down and begging for answers, begging to know why this was happening.

 _Why have you betrayed me like this? Why have you betrayed me?! What have I done?! Why have you betrayed me?!_

She swallowed. "I want to speak to Hans," she said flat out.

"No," Moren answered.

"Then Iscawin, Kelin-Sel, one of the triplets, someone! It's within my right as queen of a soon to be enemy nation! It's within the right of a high-caliber political prisoner!" Elsa said.

"Since when have the Southern Isles played by the rules?" Moren asked, and Elsa felt her heart drop as she realized with a jolt how very true the King's words were. The Southern Isles did what benefited the Southern Isles. All else was collateral. A family of deceivers and chameleons…

"Let me speak to Hans!" she shouted.

"Take her away," Moren commanded, waving his hand dismissively and turning his back to her as indifferently as he could muster… He couldn't fully hide his tremoring hands.

"Caleb, Caleb please! Why are you doing this? What did I do to displease you?! My Lord, I'm begging you, look at me! Talk to me! Brother!" she cried out, playing desperately on any emotions Moren might be hiding away. "Brother, you can't do this! You don't want to do this! No!" She saw the way his whole body stiffened. She saw Lars sob and the others curl in on themselves. She wanted to draw hope from that… But there was no hope left to be drawn…

 _They have betrayed you. They have betrayed their alliance to Arendelle. They are the enemy. Maybe they always were. Insidious… A family of chameleons and deceivers and traitors, and you…? You were stupid enough to think it could be otherwise…_

Frozen

She wasn't whipped, as was the order. Either there had been mixed signals or Moren had switched up the punishment last minute. It didn't matter which it was in the long run, she supposed. The fact was it was happening. Mael's dark charm permeated the air, forcing down her own ability to summon her powers as easily as she could have.

 _Is it Mael's, as you've suspected? His power is supposed to be dark magic creature based with a hint of dark healing, not this. Could he even hold back your power if he wanted to, or is this something else?_

They threw her against the wall and tore her clothes from her body exposing her to them. Without even a hesitation they began to beat her. Beat her with fists and sticks and rocks, with knees and elbows and chains, with kicks and slaps and fingernails without even a moment's letup until she had collapsed to the floor shrieking in pain and crying out for help, covering her head or trying. The moment she did they wrenched her arms behind her and bound them before assailing her again until every inch of her had been bruised or broken or bloodied, and she lay shivering on the floor and sobbing with no part of her left untainted by the violence.

Seizing her by the hair, they dragged the anguished and humiliated Queen back to her cell, cut the ropes binding her wrists, and threw her inside before locking the doors, leaving her in her nakedness in the dark to wait until the time she was brought out in her humiliation and burned alive in some sick and twisted revival of burning witches at the stake. She lay still on the floor, hardly able to move or breathe from the pain, and wept, trying desperately to get her powers to respond so that maybe, just maybe, she could get out of this place. There was a chance! Why wouldn't they work, dammit? Why wouldn't they work?! Soon, though, she gave up on even that and waited, trying to will herself to accept her death and hoping for some last-minute miracle in Hans.

Frozen

"Queen Elsa?" a voice said, breaking through her fitful sleep. Her eyes groggily began to open. It hurt so much to try, and she was reminded painfully of what had befallen her. She gave a choking gasp, willing the agony to stop. Exhaustedly, painfully, she lifted her head to look.

"Greta," she whispered. It was all she could do if she didn't want her neck to hurt. Her voice box might have been injured during the beating. More than once hands had wrapped around her throat, crushing it as she was held still and at their mercy.

"Oh my Queen, what have they done to you?" the girl asked, horror plain in her voice.

"Hans… Where is the prince?" Elsa whispered.

Greta was silent. Elsa felt herself tensing up. The girl's mouth was quivering, and her eyes… It looked like they were clouded by tears. "Oh Elsa, I've learned something so terrible…" Elsa realized, suddenly, that she was holding her breath. "I-I hoped that he… He was supposed to have come back from the dead! It was like a miracle that he came and stood up and was real and there, but then… then I found out the truth… It was written in a book. Hans died that night, Elsa. As we had first believed. He died that night."

Elsa was pale. "You're lying," she finally answered. "I saw him only hours ago! I spoke to him, felt him, touched him!"

Greta shook her head, sniffing and wiping her eyes. "It was a lie, Elsa… The mirror, the evil mirror… It was what took him, what made him collapse. The shard that imbedded itself in his heart… It reached the center and it… It killed him, Elsa, it killed him! It killed him and resurrected the monster! All of Hans's words to you were lies, all of his actions. They were all part of the masks he used to wear. The masks that consumed him again when he passed on."

The Queen gawked in horror and fear. No… No, no, no, that… that wasn't right. It couldn't be! It couldn't, it… it… Oh god! What if it _was_ true? "I-I can get him back," she heard herself finally stammer, denial consuming her. She had to be able to get him back, she had to!

"When there was a man within him you could have… But when he died, all that was human died _with_ him, and what remained was the shell, the body, and the mirrors… They took hold of it and consumed him then and there… It was Hans who pushed for your being beaten and humiliated. He was the one who changed the orders. He told them to strip you bare and break you and make you suffer and scream. He ordered you molested, but Abigail cowed the guards and they agreed to drop the last part of the command, but when Hans learned of it… He killed her, Elsa! He killed her and three of his own brother's children. Lucile, David, Kenan… Madeline and Cameron barely escaped with their lives, oh god… It was awful. It was all him!"

Elsa listened in shock, stunned. No… It was a lie. It was a lie, dammit, it was a lie! …So why was she suddenly breaking down into tears and sobbing like it was true? It _wasn't_ true, it wasn't! She knew better than to take words at face value! Greta was lying.

 _But you know the power of the mirror. What it can do… You saw what he was in Arendelle, and you know that it is possible…_

"Oh, my poor lady," Greta softly murmured. "I'm so sorry… I'm so, so sorry." Elsa didn't respond, continuing to inwardly deny the truth of the words… But outwardly feeling so hopeless… "I-I'll be back later, when it's safe to let you out. The guards will be preparing the execution and there won't be so much risk. I'll let you out and then we both need to run from this place. Run from it as fast and as far as possible. The princes… the princes have turned on you, my Queen. They have made you their enemy, and now there is no Hans to stand up for you or me." Elsa continued in silence, holding her body close and praying this was all just a nightmare she would soon wake up from. But she knew it wasn't. Greta sniffed. "I'll be back for you, Elsa," she promised. Quickly she turned and left the prison.

Frozen

Hans galloped towards the palace inwardly cursing fortune a thousand times over. First the doctor hadn't responded to his knocking—though oddly his house had felt strangely cold—and then on his way back, Greta had found him and delayed him far too determinedly for his liking. He had been on the verge of running her through before she finally made herself scarce. Since that dream that he'd had of her and the form of an Ice Maiden… To say he didn't trust her and in fact felt highly uneasy around her was an understatement. Yet again he cursed her for slowing his return. As he neared the castle, he reared in Sitron, starting. Riding towards him were Iscawin, Kelin-Sel, Coth, Connyn, and Calcas!

Sitron whinnied in confusion. "I don't know what's happening either, boy," Hans murmured to the steed, but he got a bad feeling about this. Quickly he rode to his brothers. As he drew closer, his unease grew. Iscawin looked like he was in a mild state of shock. Kelin-Sel looked totally helpless and clueless as to what to do. The triplets? Coth couldn't even meet his eyes, and though Connyn tried to, often he ended up glancing away. Calcas seemed steady, almost kingly, but he also seemed like he was near tears.

"What's going on?" Hans immediately asked, fearing the worst. Had Moren died? Had something happened to Elsa?

Coth finally managed to look up at him. "Hans… something very, very, very bad has happened," he answered for the others. Hans felt a chill… And then his brothers told him _everything_. From the Ice Maiden to Elsa's sentence of death, and the slaughter of Abigail and her children amongst other nieces, nephews, and sisters-in-law. Before they were finished, Hans was already galloping full tilt back towards the palace looking about ready to murder something. Many somethings. He had gone beyond the point of tears. He had sobbed and denied when his brothers had told him of the executions the Ice Maiden had carried out, but as the story had closed, anguish and guilt and misery had given way to something far, far, far more deadly.

 _Cast aside the man. Become the monster once more._

The monster was how he would survive this. The man couldn't endure. Not anymore. It never could. Not this threat, not this pain, not anything! God, please, not anymore… He should have known better than to ever think the man stood a chance anyway! The others struggled to keep up with Hans on their own horses. "When I catch that slut I'll cut her head off!" Hans all but screamed. That woman was dead, there was no question about it. When he saw her again, she was dead. _Nobody_ used his brothers as puppets, killed more than half their families— _his_ family. His innocent little nieces and nephews—got his fiancé sentenced to death, and used him as their plaything! She would die, dammit, she would suffer horribly and die!

"Hans, you have no idea what the Ice Maiden is capable of! None of us did!" Iscawin protested. "It cost our brothers most _everything_! Jürgen's family is _dead_ except for two, Duach's wife is gone, Rhun has been left with nothing but a single daughter to his name, only three of Moren's nine children are still alive and clinging precariously to that state, and Justic's family is on the verge of falling with all of them too!"

"Don't even _try_ to talk me down, I'm in no place to deal with that crap!" Hans snapped, reigning in Sitron in the courtyard and leaping off of him before he'd even fully stopped. He threw open the palace doors in a flurry of anger and barged directly into the throne room, livid. "Caleb!" he shouted viciously. Caleb, sitting with his head buried in his hands, started and looked up, eyes wide in shock. "Where's the Ice Maiden?!" Hans furiously demanded.

Moren paled. "Hans, you can't beat her! Not even all twelve of us could face her. She took so much from us. She holds so much more in the palm of her hand and could end them on a whim! You're no match for Greta!" he argued instantly.

"Wrong! _You're_ no match for Greta. None of you, you pathetic, useless…" Hans began. He willed himself to take a breath. When he was a bit calmer, he opened his eyes again, fixing his sibling with a dark glare. "I, on the other hand… Where's the Ice Maiden?!" He was aware, he noted, that he'd used almost the exact words he'd used on Anna once, when he'd been about to leave her to die… It seemed the monster would never totally leave… Or it had always been there.

"I-I don't know," Moren said, and Hans saw fear in his eyes. Not only fear for Hans, but fear _of_ him… His brother was afraid of him. Oh that just made this about a thousand times more satisfying than it already promised to be.

 _Down, monster, down. Return to your slumber. You are of use to me, but not if you consume me. Settle yourself. For now._

 _You fear yourself._ _ **Myself**_ _… I love it._

"Not a problem. I'll find her myself and put an end to her permanently," Hans said, turning and leaving the room.

Moren watched after his sibling in silence. "I pray you do… Then Elsa will be free again." Free, but too late to save all those who had been doomed. Too late to stop the chain of events that would soon unfold. He had already cost himself her alliance and her friendship. He had cost them all so much…

 _God forgive me…_

"Moren, where's Hans? Don't let him catch the Ice Maiden!" Mael suddenly shouted, bursting into the throne room. Moren quickly looked over, eyes wide. Oh no. What now?

"What happened? What's wrong? What did you find?" Moren demanded.

"The body she is in, Greta, it's a mortal shell, Moren! A shell that has _restrained_ her power, if anything. She's a nature spirit! If her human shell dies, she will be released in her true form and unlike Elsa, she won't be restrained by conscience and a heart!" Lars said.

A vision, Moren immediately knew. He paled. The Ice Maiden was a _nature_ spirit?! _Dammit_. "Hans. He's gone after her to find her. Lars, stop him! Hurry! The Ice Maiden cannot be released to take everything we have left from us! Guards, guards, find Prince Hans!" Mael had already shot out of the room. Quickly the guards scrambled to obey the King's orders. Moren moved as quickly as he could out of the throne room to help search. If what they'd seen so far was her power _restrained_? Gods help them all if they were unleashed in their full glory. He hoped they were wrong.

Frozen

Smirking to herself, the Ice Maiden entered the dungeon. Time to put on the distraught act again. Easily she masked herself and ran towards the cell Elsa was in. "Elsa!" she called. She reached the cell and looked inside. Elsa was standing, holding her arms around herself and looking out the bars of the window obviously struggling through an inner turmoil. "Elsa, I have the key. And I was able to find an overcoat to cover you in. Why won't your powers work?"

 _Because of me, of course, but you don't know that._

"I don't know," the Queen answered, turning to Greta.

Just then the dungeon doors were thrown open. Greta gasped. "Someone's coming. I'll lead them away and be back soon! Here, take the key. Get yourself out and to the docks. We'll escape from there. Here's the overcoat too," she said, shoving both through the bars. Elsa eyed her warily then approached, taking the key and overcoat both, nodding in agreement. She looked at the coat and a stab of pain went through her. It was Hans's. What, was this all some sick joke to torment her?

 _Is it? You know something's wrong._

She frowned then looked up. Greta was hurrying away. "Over here, creep!" Greta called. Immediately the footsteps picked up, breaking into a run. Greta squealed then turned and fled in fear like she'd just seen a ghost and hadn't expected who it would be. Elsa's eyes filled with concern. Who had come? Surely not just a guard? Was it a prince? What if Greta was caught? She had to help her! Quickly she threw on the overcoat, buttoning it up, then started to unlock her cell carefully, hoping desperately no one came in and saw what she was doing. The lock clicked and Elsa shoved the door open, immediately setting off after Greta. She had to get them both out of here! Quickly she raced in the direction Greta had gone as fast as she could, given the pain she was in.

 _All the while Greta's words about Prince Hans seared her thoughts._

Frozen

The Ice Maiden looked back in alarm. She hadn't expected him so soon. Not that she was overly concerned, but the look in his eyes… It had almost genuinely unnerved her. When that green-eyed gaze fell on her it was like she was being scorched with the heat of the sun itself. Had it caused her physical pain? Why? That alone made her a little cautious. It was a difference she hadn't been prepared for. His footsteps were so close now. That he wasn't calling to her and cursing her out made her edgy. He was just silent. Eerily so. In that silence, you knew his wrath.

Hans closed the distance swiftly between him and Greta. She wasn't getting away this time. He drew his sword preparing to slash her the moment he was in range to do so. He scowled. Almost there… "Hans, no, don't!" she screamed. Now! Viciously he swung, catching her back. She cried out in agony, stumbling and falling. He leapt, trying to impale her. She gasped, rolling out of the way then quickly rising and staggering back against a wall looking at him in terror.

 _Her terror is false. You were right. She is a lie!_

"Hans? Hans, what are you doing? Please, I beg you," she pled in that sickeningly fake voice that he was inwardly spitting at himself for not catching earlier.

Silently he summed her up, tilting his head almost predatorily. He looked down at his sword and raised it up, caressing the blade gently, turning the metal in his hand. Finally, he met her eyes again. A smirk of dark amusement flickered across his lips before becoming the glare again. "You don't bleed, my lady," he said to her, fingering the spotless blade lightly.

She stared at him for a surprised moment. Soon, though, off slipped the mask and a dark smile parted her lips. He remained glaring in stoic silence. "Well done, traitor prince. You must feel so accomplished," she said. Coldly the woman laughed. "What's wrong, chameleon? Don't you know your own kind?"

"You really think it's wise of you to taunt me right now, Ice Maiden?" he asked. "How many nieces and nephews of mine have you killed? How many sisters-in-law? How many of my brothers have you tortured and made suffer?"

"You don't know what you're trifling with," she answered.

"Really? Because I believe you mean the reverse," he answered. It was her who had no clue of what she was trifling with. Not only in him alone, but in his siblings as well. They were good at biding their time… They always _had_ been… Her taunting smile fell to a frown, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Do it, betrayer," she said. "Give in."

"Give in? To what? Myself?" he answered. He lunged before she could even process his movement. The blade buried itself to the hilt in her stomach, running her through. She gave a strangled scream of anguish, doubling over. Choking, she slowly looked up at him meeting his eyes. He drew her near. "There was never anything to give into. I was always here. Now suffer," he growled darkly into her ear, slowly twisting his sword inside of her. She caught her breath then choked again.

 _It wasn't blood that slipped out from between her lips. It was water._

Coldly, cruelly, the Ice Maiden began to chuckle. She pushed herself further against the blade as she collapsed against the prince. Close to his ear, she whispered, "How unfortunate. Tragic even, perhaps… That she should see you now like this… murderer…" Elsa… But there was no expression in the prince's face, and for the first time, the Ice Maiden felt like she _didn't_ have the upper hand after all...

He withdrew the sword from Greta's body, letting her fall to the ground, her dead eyes gazing blankly up at the roof. He looked at the corpse in silence. He didn't turn. Maybe he was afraid to. He felt her horrified eyes on him… "Pretend that you never saw any of this. I had my reasons," he finally said to her. Elsa was stunned silent, gazing at the girl's remains. She shook her head in denial and stepped back against a wall almost fearfully. No. No, no, no, no… God no. Slowly she looked back up at the prince's half-turned back.

"You killed her," Elsa finally breathed.

"You don't understand," he said, though he didn't meet her eyes.

"What am I not understanding?" she asked.

He turned to face her. "That woman wasn't human," he said.

 _She looked so afraid of him…_

Did Elsa not understand why he had done this and who he had done it _for_? "She had to die," he said, looking at the body again.

"No… no, this can't be real," she replied, holding her head in her hands. "It can't be." It was just a dream. It was just a dream!

"She was the monster here, not me," he sharply said. Sharper than intended. Elsa looked up at him. He was facing her again. His eyes met her eyes… He didn't see. He didn't know! She shook her head. He didn't realize. "What?" he practically sneered on seeing her expression. "She was trying to save you? She was your friend?" he asked, sarcasm tinging dangerously in his voice.

 _You don't see what I see…_

"Stop," she pled.

"Stop what, Elsa?" he asked, putting his sword back into its sheath.

"Looking at me with those eyes," she said.

"What?" he asked icily.

 _Those eyes… There was nothing of the man in those eyes… Those eyes… It was like she was seeing the thing he had been that day so long ago out on the frozen fjords and on his return to Arendelle._

"You don't see?" she said, voice breaking.

 _Greta had been right. What did it matter is she had been the villain or an innocent? She had been right._

"Enough games, Elsa!" Hans sharply snapped. "What are you talking about? What aren't I seeing?"

"Do you even see me?" she asked in a whisper. He looked totally mystified.

 _He doesn't see…_

"Do you see me?" she repeated again, stepping closer with tears burning her eyes.

"Of course I see you," he answered with a sigh, voice a little gentler as he massaged his forehead with two fingers.

"You didn't come find me. You came into this prison and you ran right passed the corridor I was imprisoned in," she said. "You saw her come from it, for all you knew she had killed me… and you just ran right passed…"

"There was something a little more pressing I needed to deal with first, Elsa! That woman is psycho! She had to die or no one was going to be safe again, least of all you," Hans argued, though inwardly his stomach was twisting slightly with… with what? What was it? Guilt? Strange… Why was the feeling of guilt suddenly so foreign?

 _Because I choose it to be._

"You don't see me now. Standing in front of you. Clothed in nothing more than a stolen overcoat, covered in purple and green and black and blue bruises every place there's skin," she said.

He looked totally lost, but suddenly his eyes seemed to clear, if only a little, and for a moment she saw the man again as it dawned on him what he was seeing… But having it dawn on him was _all_ that happened. He didn't gasp in horror or give an alarmed exclamation. He didn't pull her immediately into his arms and demand answers. He did… he did nothing… Slowly he met her eyes again.

 _It becomes you._

A dark voice springing into his thoughts. He damned it a million times and forced it back, suddenly stepping back and shaking his head. Where the hell had _that_ come from? Wait… had he said that out _loud_? He didn't even know… But the way she was backing away in fear now, hugging the wall and staring at him like-like he was some kind of-of…

 _Monster…_

He'd said it out loud… She was about to run. She was posed to run! "Elsa wait, let me explain," he said quickly, reaching towards her. She moved swiftly back and suddenly turned, fleeing from him. "Elsa!" he called after her. Immediately he gave pursuit. Had he called her name pleadingly, as in 'Elsa wait' or 'Elsa please'? A dark part of him told him that no. He hadn't. A dark part of him felt like maybe, just maybe, he had shouted her name as if to say, 'Elsa, get back here' or 'Elsa, don't you dare run from me'. He didn't know. He didn't know! Why? Why didn't he know? When had he stopped noticing the stabs of pain from the mirror in the first place? What was happening to him? Anything?


	14. The Snow Queen's Flight

The Snow Queen's Flight

(A/N: Not 'flight' as in flying, though I suppose it kind of could be taken that way given her escape method. A subtle change you might not have noticed, but note how Hans isn't warring against two opposing sides of him anymore, in his inner thoughts, like 'I' and 'You'? He's warring with himself, 'I' and 'me'. Take from that what you will.)

Elsa raced towards the exit. She had to get out of here! Out of this palace, out of this country, away from them all! She had to get away!

 _They are your enemies now._

Hans… Oh god, what had happened to him? She wouldn't accept that all that was good within his heart had died when they believed he had. She couldn't! "Elsa, talk to me!" she heard him call.

She slowed down, turning to reply. "There's nothing to talk about!" she called back, shaking her head. "Nothing will make this better, just-just leave me alone!" She couldn't be here now. Not near him, not near his brothers. If she was caught in this palace out of her cell, she died. It was simple as that. Even if she'd _wanted_ to talk there wasn't time. She saw the exit and raced for it.

"Elsa listen to me!" he called out. She opened the door and raced out of the dungeon, slamming it behind her. She felt her powers, gift, stirring again, and iced the door shut, trapping him there. At least for a temporary time. Long enough for her to get out of here! She heard him try to open the door, shaking it desperately. "Don't do this, your Majesty, don't!" he pled. She closed her eyes, clenching her teeth and resting her hands on the door. Quickly she pulled from it and raced off. Priority one, flee the Southern Isles before it was too late and they caught her again. Her powers were back. Her freedom was guaranteed.

 _Was it Greta that cancelled out your powers? Oh gods… she didn't bleed. What had that woman done?_

Elsa shook her head. She didn't even know if she _wanted_ to know the story. Could she stomach hearing it? She was so tired of excuses and the pain that came with feeling.

Frozen

Hans, highly uneasy now, turned sharply with a gasp on hearing what sounded like footsteps in the dungeon. Delicate ones. Like ice on stone. Inwardly he cursed and put out the torches nearby, crouching in the dark and keeping a wary eye out. If that woman, that _thing_ , came here, he would cut her into ice cubes! But it wasn't her that he feared. It was something within her. It was…

 _It is the mirror. The Ice Maiden is the mirror, walking and talking and breathing on earth… And_ _ **she**_ _has trapped me with it. Elsa._ _ **She**_ _has doomed me… It seems she never fully understood what it was doing after all._

 _No. I'm not doomed. Not yet._

 _What is there for me to fight for now? I've lost her, I know I have._

 _I won't accept that._

 _I'm being determined, if stupid._

Uneasily, Hans waited to see if the Ice Maiden would come. And prayed she wouldn't.

Frozen

Elsa raced down the palace corridors determinedly. The moment guards became aware of her, they started and attacked to try and stop her. Without even a thought, she pinned them to the walls and continued racing onward. A bell pealed, which meant one must have slipped away and sounded the alarm. That in turn meant that the princes and King would soon be racing to meet her.

Moren heard the bell toll in the palace, marking a prisoner escape. He knew who it was without having to be told. His siblings, all of which had regrouped with him after failing to find Hans, looked over at him uneasily. Moren was quiet and pale. " _I'll_ meet her," he soon said. He didn't want them in danger.

"Not without us you won't," Justic replied.

Moren gave his siblings a worried but touched look. Why was he not surprised? …Once upon a time they wouldn't have cared… Once upon a time not even long ago. "If she becomes dangerous, don't engage. I won't see you killed at her hand. I _won't_ lose my brothers too. Any of you," Moren replied.

"As you command, your Majesty," Kelin-Sel answered, bowing. "Iscawin, with me." Iscawin nodded. He didn't want to do it. Could he raise a sword against Elsa if he tried? But they were his brothers… And if they let Elsa go, the people they loved suffered and died. Everything the Ice Maiden and Carabis had left to them would be taken, and more.

"Blood is thicker than water," the second youngest muttered out loud. The others were quiet. The truth of those words had never struck them harder than now.

"Be careful. All of you," Franz pled, speaking for the first time since they'd found Jürgen's frozen family and learned of the deaths of so many of their own. Immediately grouping up, the brothers raced out to face the Snow Queen of Arendelle. Moren wondered. Had he just exchanged one evil for another? Which one was worse, he questioned? In ability, that was, not persona. The Ice Maiden was far worse in persona.

Frozen

It was the twins that the Queen met first. Rudi and Runo. She stared at them in hurt betrayal. They said nothing. They barely looked at her. They seemed too tired and drained and anguished. Like they were in mourning.

 _What was going on? What happened to them?_

"What happened to you?" Duach questioned before she could ask them the same.

"The orders were changed," she answered.

"We don't want to know," Duach deadpanned. He turned to her. "You need to go back to your cell, Elsa. Don't make this an 'I'd sooner die' thing. Don't… Please don't."

"It's already become that," she answered. "Get out of my way. I don't want to hurt you… But if I have to, I will." The twins shook their heads then lunged together. Quickly she threw up ice spikes, but neatly they dodged around them and closed the distance between themselves and her. Scowling, she threw up an ice shield that caught their blades on the descent. Roughly she pushed them back, staggering them, then attacked again with her ice spikes, eyes cold and determined. "Stay back!" she ordered them as they cut through the spikes neatly then split up to flank her. She quickly sent an ice wall at Duach, striking him and pinning him against a wall. He cried out in pain as it crushed him almost beyond the point of being able to breathe, but not quite. At least she wasn't fighting to kill, he noted to himself.

Elsa leapt to the side and cried out as Rhun's sword caught her a glancing blow. He spun and attacked her again and again. Oh, _he_ was good. She looked at him with eyes wide, trying to defend herself. She cried out as another strike caught her. It was more a cry of surprise than pain, though. It hardly nicked her that time. She formed a quartet of ice goblins which immediately attacked Rhun, leaping on him and driving him back. "Whoa!" he exclaimed in shock. The heck?! She raced onwards as the goblins continued to harry Rhun, while Duach struggled to squeeze out from behind the wall to help his twin.

Frozen

Elsa listened and kept her eyes out for whoever would come next. The guards had been pulled back, which implied the princes didn't want anyone else at risk except themselves. It was an improvement from what they'd once been, she knew, and a sad smile crossed her lips before fading. And then all this had to happen. Tears burned her eyes. Suddenly an arrow flew right passed her face, almost clipping her, and imbedded in the wall. She turned sharply. Franz and Justic! The former held a crossbow and was reloading quickly, crouched on the ground. "Elsa, you can't escape this!" Justic's voice shouted.

"I see my challenges aren't increasing by talent," she remarked.

"Don't patronize us, prisoner," Franz replied, giving her a dubious look. "You're not exactly in any position to."

"Why can't you just cooperate?" Justic said, pacing carefully around her while Franz covered her escape down that other hallway.

"Why can't I just roll over and die, you mean?" she hissed. "How could you do this to me? What did I do to you?! No one will tell me what I did or what's happening or…!"

"You did nothing, my lady," Justic ruefully replied, shaking his head. "It was all of _us_ … Chameleons, remember?"

"So what, everything was a game? A lie? Did you ever care about me and Anna, any of you? Did Hans… Did he ever truly change?" she asked.

"What?" Franz asked, tensing up. "How could you even _question_ that?! Because of you and your sister, all of us changed for the better. Just maybe… maybe in the end it wasn't enough. But Hans? It's like he became new again, and you're actually questioning…?"

"You didn't see him. The way he looked at me…" she whispered.

"What do you mean?" Justic asked, feeling a chill. "What happened to our brother?"

"Get out of my way!" she furiously shouted, letting out a surge of ice that went careening towards them and stumbled them. She raced to escape, but Franz regained his footing and tackled her violently, knocking her to the ground. She cried out in pain as the bruises screamed in protest. He paled, quickly scrambling off her with eyes wide. Dammit, those bruises… What had happened to her? Suddenly he also registered she was naked say for the overcoat hiding her, and suddenly blushed a deeper red than he could remember ever blushing before, scrambling off the woman stammering something so incoherent that even _he_ didn't know what he was saying or trying to say.

Justic picked up the slack quickly, seizing her and dragging her up, throwing her against the wall. She head-butted him backwards, staggering him, then pulled free of the overcoat and raced away, leaving the poor man gawking in stunned disbelief, eyes wide. Franz let out a squeak and quickly turned to a wall. "I think I need to go see my wife," Justic remarked, stunned.

Whatever issue Franz was having instantly vanished and he gave his sibling a glare. "You mean the whore who held our baby brother over my head and blackmailed me into helping her before she'd let me save him?"

Justic scowled, all else forgotten. "Now you listen to me and you listen _damn_ well, Neb. You would have left those children to that freak's mercy and his twisted, perverted little fantasies without even a second thought if she hadn't forced you to go after them before Hans, and you know it full well! You were a piece of work then and everyone who had a brain saw it! You would have laughed at them if anything! Hell, I'm shocked you didn't just laugh at Hans! Oh wait, you did! After the adrenaline wore off and he'd had a day or so to recover."

"How dare you…?" Franz began in anger.

"Call you on your BS? Suck it up, princess!" Justic shot. "Yeah, I'm calling you on your crap! She was in the wrong big time, no way am I going to argue that. That she even _thought_ to do that to Hans… But she was desperate. She was his victim as much as anyone else if not more so! Nothing she did then was for her benefit. It was for the sake of the children he kept as his personal stock!" Franz was quiet, looking down. "Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you would have helped them without her intervention." Franz stayed silent because truth be told? Looking back, he honestly didn't know. "Now… now my wife has put herself at risk, and our children, protecting our brother's last remaining heirs. Before this is done she may yet… she may yet die… And with her my babies…" Franz closed his eyes tightly. "You damn well show her some honor!" Justic finally managed to finish, sniffing and frustratedly wiping his eyes.

Frozen

Elsa seriously, albeit wryly, considered just racing through the rest of the palace undressed like this and avoiding any further fighting with the princes. She knew full well none of them would be able to coherently think or strategize if they saw her streaking through their home and had to deal with… other things. Her dignity, however, wouldn't allow that embarrassment, and so as she fled she conjured up a dress. She'd risk the fighting. What next, she wondered? Rounding a corner, she came to a stop, eyes wide. She should have stayed unclothed a little longer, she dryly told herself. It was Iscawin and Kelin-Sel. Poor Iscawin wouldn't have been able to function, and Kelin-Sel? Well, she actually wasn't sure about him. He was one of the quieter ones. Him along with the triplets. It was hard to judge what any of those four would do in such a situation.

Iscawin looked at her and turned away, closing his eyes tightly. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably inside of her. It seemed he wasn't going to be able to function anyway. She looked to Kelin-Sel, who stared quietly at the ground. After a moment he looked up. "You know we have to stop you," he said. She was silent. He was one of the best swordsmen of the brothers, she knew, up there with Moren, Rhun, Hans, and Jürgen. At last tally, the best to the worst—which was still the best—of the four went Jürgen, Moren, Rhun, Kelin-Sel, and Hans. Which meant she was in for a bad time if she didn't neutralize him immediately.

"I'm sorry… I didn't want to hurt you," she said.

Kelin-Sel looked confused then started, realizing immediately that she had suddenly gone from defensive to offensive. He cried out in alarm as suddenly a spike shot from the ground, driving itself through his right arm. Iscawin turned quickly, eyes wide. At that point he didn't stay neutral anymore. He lunged at her so fast she couldn't even register he was there, tackling her viciously into the ground and pinning her beneath him with a scowl all too reminiscent of Hans. He looked so much like his little brother in that moment that Elsa actually had to turn away with a whimper. She heard Kelin-Sel give a cry of pain again as he pulled his arm from the spike, clutching the wound tightly. Iscawin, distracted and alarmed at the noise, turned quickly. Elsa threw him off her and tried to scramble up. He leapt, catching her ankle and bringing her back down. Elsa kicked back viciously. Iscawin yelped, letting go, and she make a break for it.

Unfortunately, it seemed Kelin-Sel wasn't entirely incompetent with his non-dominant arm either. She found herself wondering if he was ambidextrous. She'd never truly paid attention to which hand he fought with most, but now that she was thinking about it, it seemed to her that she'd seen the sword in different hands at different times depending on how useful it would be to the situation. She cursed her luck. No wonder he was in the top five for swordsmen among the brothers. Maybe even top three now. Had he overtaken Rhun, she wondered? She realized, inwardly cringing, that he just might have ever since Cumberland and Rhun's having two of his fingers cut off. The prosthetics were useful, yes, but they weren't flesh and blood and they weren't totally reliable. Rhun might really be in _fifth_ place now, in fact. Kelin-Sel swung at her in a fury then seized a knife from his sheath, duel-wielding the weapons and scowling at her.

"Go back to your cell, Snow Queen. Don't make this difficult," he warned. His injured arm would be the weak one. She would still have to watch for it, but not as much. She could get out of this, she judged silently. Suddenly she sent an ice spike back at Iscawin. Iscawin cried out in alarm as for a moment he feared it would tear right through his eye and out the back of his head. She stopped it barely in time, but the close call was enough to completely throw Kelin-Sel. Why were they suddenly so jumpy about losing each other? Did she _want_ to know? She ran passed him, but quickly he recovered from the shock and raced after her with Iscawin. Iscawin loaded a crossbow and took aim at her fleeing back. He hesitated, but Kelin-Sel wasn't chewing him out about it, that was for sure.

Finally, Iscawin shook his head and shot it. Elsa cried out in pain as the arrow tore into her shoulder. Instinctively she spun around and threw up an ice wall. She heard them both cry out in pain as they slammed into it. She cursed under her breath, pulling out the arrow and forming ice over the injury to keep the bleeding in check. She was glad she'd had enough distance to pull that off, but she didn't relish facing whoever was next.

Frozen

She was surrounded and pale. The triplets. They played off each other like a well-oiled machine. Much like the twins did, though you wouldn't guess from the confrontation with them. She couldn't blame them for being out of sync, though. This wasn't exactly a stress-free situation. The triplets, however, were handling this nightmare far better than their older brothers had. They were good at masks, she noted. They all were. As they got younger, though, they seemed to get better and better at it. She had learned, over time, that it was a self-preservation instinct they'd honed in early life. One progressively more needed the younger they were. That for so long these three had made themselves a private unit, locking out all their other siblings, just made them that much more in-tune with one another. She looked around. Would reason work, she questioned? Because even with how powerful she was, she found herself doubting if she could take on all three at once while in this state.

"Let me go," she pled tiredly.

They were quiet. She wondered if they'd answer at all. If they didn't, reason was out of the question. Maybe if she was anyone else, they _wouldn't_ have responded. But she wasn't anyone else. "We can't," Calcas finally answered.

"I wish you could understand why this has to be," Connyn said.

"Why you have to have me burned at the stake?" she retorted sharply. "Do you know the enemy you're making in Arendelle? In _me_?"

"Yes… But what needs to be will be," Coth said. "What needs to be, is you need to die, and Hans needs to marry that psychopathic nut job!"

"He killed her, don't you understand? Whatever the threat was, it's gone?!" Elsa said.

"He killed her mortal shell," Connyn stated.

Elsa stiffened, paling. What? "Mortal shell? What mortal shell?" she asked.

"Don't you know, Elsa? Didn't you see? That she isn't human or anything close," Calcas said. Elsa was pale. She'd seen the woman wasn't human, but what did they mean by not anything close? A chill shot through her.

"I locked Hans in the dungeon with her body," she said suddenly.

The triplets froze, eyes widening. "You _what_?!" Coth freaked.

"I locked him in the dungeon with her body," she repeated.

"S**t!" Connyn exclaimed. Instantly he took off down the hallway. The other two darted after him. Screw this fight! They needed to get to Hans! Elsa spun, pale. What was going on? Shaking her head nervously, she turned and raced onwards. At least she didn't have to battle _that_ trio of death.

Frozen

She was almost free, she knew. She was so close! Suddenly she felt an arrow pierce her side and cried out, staggering and nearly falling. Really?! She looked up, teeth clenched fearfully. Moren and Jürgen, she saw. Oh no. "You've betrayed me," she said to the king.

"The interests of the Southern Isles before the interests of Arendelle," Moren answered.

 _The lives of my family before everything else. I will not lose my last remaining children or cost my brothers theirs. And I most certainly will not lose my siblings._

"It always is, isn't it? And always has been," she replied, gasping and clutching the arrow. She pulled it from her body, making Jürgen visibly winced. He'd had to do that more than once. It was never a fun experience and usually required immediate medical attention afterwards. Which she gave herself in the form of ice and snow. She looked up at them, eyes sparkling icily. "But I won't accept my fate. I'm leaving. You'll never have to see me again, we can pretend nothing ever happened… You don't have to kill me."

"You're trying reason? Really? With the Princes of the Southern Isles? Why should your pleas be heard when we've deafened ourselves to so many others, Elsa?" Jürgen asked.

"When did you stop caring for me? Did you ever truly care?" she asked. Moren fitted another arrow to his bow quietly. "This is it? This is how you'll see me die?" He paused and looked at her.

 _I would not have ever seen you die, sister…_

"Our alliance is ended. Your death will be a declaration of war on your sister. As I said, the interests of the Southern Isles first," Moren answered.

"You're more a traitor than you brother ever was," she answered bitterly.

"More of one? Open your eyes, Elsa? Where's your prince now? It seems _he_ never stayed loyal either," Meilic answered.

Elsa's jaw twitched. Suddenly she lashed out with a wall of ice spikes, scowling determinedly. Moren and Meilic both quickly moved back, taken off guard. Moren took aim with the bow and fired. Elsa called forth a flurry to knock it off its course before hurling an icy spear at Jürgen. He cried out in pain as it struck his thigh. "Jürgen!" Moren exclaimed.

"Challenge me again," she threatened. "There's something wrong with your brother. Something bad. I'd tell you to deal with that first before anything else, but what do you care? He's just the throwaway prince to you." She prepared another icy speak.

Quickly Moren turned to her. "Elsa, no! If you must take vengeance on anyone take it on me, not my brother! I'm your enemy! I'm the traitor! They're only following my orders," he quickly pled. Madeline and Cameron couldn't be made orphans. Not so soon after losing their mother and siblings!

"You really think I'd kill him," she answered in disbelief, shaking her head ruefully. "I'm not like you, Caleb, or them. I would never do something like that in this situation, when there's a chance to make it without death. You wouldn't know what that's like, I'm sure. All you've ever known is murder and treachery and mercilessness. You and all your siblings. I suppose I can't blame you for that… Not given the life you've known. But an excuse is just that. An excuse… I'll pay you back for your deceit in time, be sure of it, but not now. Right now, I just want to go." The look she gave him… It made him want to shoot himself. She let the spear fly and it struck Jürgen again. This time in the shoulder. Jürgen cried out in pain, tossing his head back.

"Brother!" Caleb exclaimed, falling next to his sibling quickly. Jürgen whimpered and Caleb inwardly cursed. He had to get him to a doctor. When he looked back to Elsa, she was gone.

Frozen

She was free. The door was right there! She would be out of the palace. She would be able to get away! …But then the form of a bear stepped into sight. A dark creature of magic. Mael in another shape… She slid to a stop, gasping and paling. The lumbering bear eyed her quietly and started ambling towards her with threatening roars. She just stared at him, tears in her eyes. He stopped a distance away from her, silently watching. "Let me go," she pled to her tutor. The bear gave no answer for a long, long time. Soon, though, it began to slowly morph, taking back its human form. Elsa swallowed painfully as she saw him human again. The way he looked at her… Lars closed his eyes and sighed through the nose, bowing his head. He met her eyes again then stepped aside wordlessly. She nodded a thank you and ran, racing passed him. He watched quietly after her then shape-shifted into a dark bird and flew off to find his siblings and ensure no truly dangerous damage had been done to them.

Elsa ran to the stable. Sitron, nuzzling and nickering at her icy mare who apparently appreciated the attention, looked towards her and started. He neighed, prancing happily over to her with her mare. As he neared, though, he sensed something was very wrong. She sobbed and went to him, gently petting his nose. "Your master has changed… This time not for the better," she whispered to him. Sitron started and whinnied concernedly, nudging her as it to ask what she meant. She shook her head then swung up onto her icy mare. "Goodbye, Sitron," she said. Immediately she took off at a gallop towards the sea as the horse watched after her.

Frozen

Hans stared in numb horror at the figure standing at the bottom of the stairs slowly coming towards him. The figure of a woman made of ice. How it could look so haunting he would never know. He was shaking. He could hear his brothers calling him. The triplets and the twins. They were hacking at the icy door desperately. She approached, and the whispers he could hear so plainly in his head… He could see his reflection in her icy body…

"You think you have a choice, Wicked Prince? See what I truly am. You have no escape from me or the death and anguish I can bring upon your family. Surrender, Wicked Prince. Surrender and your family lives. Refuse, well… It will start with your brother Justic's wife and children, and the last three of Caleb's heirs. Then the woman Franz once loved will be found, and her life will be cut short. The maidens the triplets are engaged to? No more. You. Have. No. Choice. Give yourself to me, Prince of the Southern Isles. She is gone. She'll never look back. I am all you have now," she said in a breathy voice.

 _And I need you... For him._

Shaking, he closed his eyes and swallowed, trying to forget his reflection in her body. The voices in 'The Nightingale' whispered. The ones that told the emperor every good and bad deed he had ever done… There was no nightingale to sing those whispers away this time, and they were consuming him… He felt the icy chill, heard her say his name. He could feel her reaching out. His head was pounding so badly…

Suddenly the door was pulled open and Hans cried out, falling backwards, eyes shooting open in surprise. He saw her disappear. He felt his brothers catch him. He stared at where she had been. There lay an icy mirror. His heart hammered in his chest. "Hans, are you okay?" he finally registered his brothers saying.

Blinking, he looked at them. "Where's Elsa?" he immediately questioned. They were quiet. He didn't need an answer to guess. He pulled free of them and raced through the castle. He knew in his heart he wouldn't catch her now, but it didn't mean he wouldn't try. He burst outside and raced up into a guard tower, looking out towards the sea. He saw her there, galloping towards it on her icy mare… She turned back in his direction and came to a stop.

Frozen

She saw him… She stared a long moment before sobbing and turning away to look at the ocean. What was her plan here? She couldn't take a boat, they would return to the Southern Isles the minute the order to bring her back came in. She couldn't run over the sea. Arendelle was anywhere from a few days to a week or more away by water, depending on weather conditions, and a boat moved much faster than she ran. If she went to Arendelle, what then? They would pursue her. They would follow her home and go to war with her kingdom. They would slaughter anyone who stood in the way, and the death and despair… She wanted to go home… But she couldn't accept that danger. She would neutralize the threat here before she did anything else. The Southern Isles were expansive, riddled with hills and caverns and undiscovered places. She could build up a fortress there, if she wished, in which to hide and wait for them to come to her. When they did, she would throw them down like she would any enemy, though it would kill her inside to do so… But they had turned their backs on her… She had no choice, anymore.

She turned and stared at a clear area. After a moment, she held out her hands and began to form something. A sleigh of ice, drawn by icy horses who stood proudly and at the ready for her order. She dismounted her mare and hitched the steed to it as well, making it the lead. The mare neighed, rearing up, and Elsa climbed into the sleigh. She didn't need to speak, for them to know where she wanted to go. She signalled them to start off and they shot away at a speed faster than the wind, racing towards the marshlands, racing beyond, and far into the crevices of the Isles. She looked back and watched until the castle faded into the distance...

Frozen

Hans watched after her numbly. He didn't know what he felt. Hurt, anguish, fury, resentment, disgust? Maybe all. Or maybe nothing… Nothing… Scowling darkly, he shouted furiously, "Damn you to hell, Snow Queen! Damn you to hell!"

After a moment of silently brooding—the guard in the tower didn't dare get any closer to him than necessary, which meant he was pressed up against the opposite side of the guard tower—Hans turned on his heel and made his way back down, storming furiously towards the castle. Only then did the guard dare breathe again and look worriedly after the prince. It had been a very long time since he had last seen the young man in such a state… Not since before the Queen of Arendelle had come into the picture, in fact. He got the bad feeling this was going to devolve very quickly. He'd best warn the other guardsmen and servants in the palace. Soon, he feared, they would be back to living in terror of the princes. All of them. They should have known better than to trust things would stay like this forever… A message should go to the people as well to be wary. Luckily, rumor and gossip moved very quickly.

Hans entered the grand hall and paused. His brothers were there, all of them, looking at him worriedly. He stared back. He hated the pity he saw in their eyes and the worry. Their concern was a lie. They had never cared. Not about him, not about each other.

 _But they had begun to…_

What did it matter? He didn't want it anymore. He just wanted… He didn't even know. He just wanted to fall asleep and never wake up. "I… I'm going to bed," he soon said.

"It's not even evening," Connyn said. "The sun is still bright."

"The sun may be bright, but nothing else is," Hans replied, shaking his head. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Some are created for beauty, and some for use; and there are some which one can do without altogether," he remarked half to himself and half to them… He was the third option, he believed. The sort people could do without altogether. None of this would have happened if he… He grimaced and moved quickly passed them, not letting himself finish the thought. He didn't stop when they tried to call him back to talk to them. He didn't want to hear it. He just wanted the darkness and the silence and the solitude. He'd always done better with such things anyway…


	15. There was Once a Little Prince

There was Once a Little Prince...

(A/N: Now the truth about the mirror and Hans comes out...)

That night she came. Whether in his dreams or when he was half awake, he didn't know. Nor could he bring himself to care. He just stared up at her as she lingered above him on his bed. He said and did nothing. "Do you see the truth now, young prince of Denmark and Scotland?" she asked. "Do you see it? She never trusted you. She never saw in you anything more than a monster. If she had, she would have listened to you when you begged her to, wouldn't she have? You know in your soul that you were a marriage of convenience, nothing more. That you were actually willing to degrade yourself to that position just to be with her… It's really quite pathetic. But now you know better, don't you?" she asked, tapping his nose with a little smirk. "No one could love a monster like you. So give her up. She wants nothing to do with you anymore, Mor'du." His jaw twitched and he bit back a snappy remark about how he had no intentions of becoming Mor'du, but he was just too exhausted to bother.

 _Broken, you mean. If this is what it means to have a heart, I'm better off with one of ice. Or no heart at all._

"But not all is lost," she said. "Marry me. Become my husband, and I will give you power like you never knew you had. More important still, I will grant you righteous vengeance on the deceitful little slut you called your Nightingale and your Snow Queen." Most important, she might get Vertigo back again.

"Who are you to speak of righteousness of any kind?" he replied coldly and darkly.

"So, you _do_ still have some fight in you. I underestimated you… You and all your brothers," she said. "No more, though… No more… Can't you see? That her heart was never with you and never would have been? Every word she spoke was exaggeration and crafted for her own benefit, not yours. Hers and her sister's and Arendelle's. Every word she spoke was honeyed and sweet, but there was no feeling behind any of it. Not in the end. And you were foolish enough to believe that she could care for a murderer and traitor. You were foolish enough to believe she could care… You truly loved her… Do you still deny that what you felt was only intimate friendship? You loved her."

His heart ached. He felt like breaking down but was it even worth it? He swallowed over a painful lump in his throat and cursed the pricking in his eyes. "Whether I did or didn't, it isn't your business," he answered. She kept on the smile but inwardly seethed.

 _What will it take to break you, boy?_

She pressed her hand against his chest and he gasped, feeling a stab of pain shoot through his heart. "It reacts to the anguish you feel, I sense… It burns so much, doesn't it? You are hurt, you feel betrayed… You are bitter and angry and resentful, but you haven't been able to tell what these feelings you feel are yet. So, I've told you… I see in your eyes that you realize it now. It frightens you, young man. It frightens you so much… But why do you fight it? You reserve every right to feel that way. Oh, poor darling, chameleon prince, it was all so much simpler when all you knew was hatred, wasn't it? So, so much simpler. So much less painful. Is having a heart worth all the agony it brings, I wonder?" He cringed, closing his eyes and willing back a sob.

 _No… A thousand times no._

"Let your masks consume you again. You were safer behind your masks, weren't you?" she purred.

 _Yes… But that doesn't mean I will wear them again. I don't want to wear them again. I don't want to be the monster anymore!_

 _But I am… I always was. I was just controlling it better._

He felt his masks one by one beginning to slip back on…

 _Turn my back on her. She's turned hers on me, so what do I owe her anymore?_

The Ice Maiden smiled darkly. He was doing her job for her, she noted. He _was_ a piece of work, wasn't he? Carabis had been so very right. All you needed to do was nudge and prod a bit, and his inner turmoil and his nature would do the rest.

 _Forget her… The cold never bothered me anyway. The coldness of life and humanity and people, that is._

He opened his eyes, meeting hers, and she smiled. She had him… Oh how she had him. Good boy. "Sleep with me," she whispered, laying on top of him and whispering it into his ear, rubbing herself against him. Seizing her, he threw her from his bed. She gave a cry of alarm, feeling his hands clamped around her throat with a grip so crushing that had she been mortal, she would have likely been half dead by now, if he hadn't broken her neck. Suddenly he realized what he was doing, the utter emotionlessness in his eyes as he was trying to murder this thing, and he started, snapping back to himself. He gasped, moving off her and staring in disbelief.

Frozen

Coughing, she looked up at him in shock. Oh, he played this game well. She'd really thought she'd had him. She scowled. Fine. Then she'd play even dirtier. "Now you've done it. You've cost your brothers more than they've already lost! I will see the King's children pretty little statues in my glacial garden!" she furiously said, raising her hands as if to cast the spell. He ran at her suddenly, seizing her wrists and throwing her up against a wall. Startled, she gawked at him in shock. What was this now? And why did his hands feel so uncomfortably hot? She felt like she was being burned and hissed slightly in pain as his grip tightened on her wrists.

He looked her up and down before meeting her eyes again. His expression was nothingness… She stared. She had never seen such nothingness… Finally, he released her and stepped back. She watched him warily. Soon he knelt in front of her, bowing his head low. What was he doing, she asked herself again? "I will carry out your will, Queen of the Glaciers," he said, and her mouth dropped in shock. "It isn't as if this game's new to me anyway."

 _Just don't hurt them anymore…_

"To be honest? I've missed it more than even _I_ knew," he added. Which, he found, was truer than he ever wanted to admit.

She blinked then smiled at him, expression becoming one of amusement and partial relief. "Good, my little marionette. Good," she cooed, tilting his chin to look up at her. If he had become malleable, that meant there was still hope for her and Vertigo.

The next moment she vanished. Hans's eyes flew open as if he'd just awakened. He was lying in bed again, looking up at the roof. For a long time, he was still.

 _I still feel her body pressed against mine…_

He grimaced and rose quickly, leaving his room and marching directly towards the King's sleeping chambers.

Frozen

He neared the doors. The guards perked up on seeing him. "Get out of my way," he ordered them flatly.

"Prince Hans, we…" one began.

"I order you to get out of my way," Hans said. They didn't move a moment, but when it became apparent he wasn't stopping even if he had to cut them down, they cleared the path. Hans threw open the doors of his brother's room and shut them behind him. Caleb, always a light sleeper, awakened instantly, quickly sitting up and looking towards the door in case of a threat. On seeing Hans, he started.

"Baby brother?" he asked in surprise. Hans looked at him then went to his bed without replying. Moren, totally confused, looked on in disbelief as his sibling got right into bed with him without even hesitating. Hans lay on his back, gazing up at the ceiling. Moren watched quietly then laid down again. He wouldn't question it. He got the feeling Hans wouldn't answer anyway. He never said more than he chose to, or less. For a long time, there was silence, but neither of them slept. Hans because of his inner turmoil, Moren because he _sensed_ the other's inner turmoil and got the feeling Hans wanted to speak but just hadn't worked up to it yet.

"I see him," Hans suddenly said. Moren was quiet, staring at the ceiling in silence as well. "I see the bear… I see Mor'du… I watch him come to me, and I go to him… I see myself stroke the great head and embrace him around the neck… I watch myself morph into his body, his form, and then… Then there is power and there is blood and there is nothing… Nothing but the scent of sulphur and flame, and the screaming… I am him… And I am the mirror and the wicked prince…" Moren was quiet, though he felt his heart dropping into a bottomless pit. There was silence between them. "They sat close to each other, and he told her a story about her eyes. They were beautiful dark lakes in which her thoughts swam about like mermaids. And her forehead was a snowy mountain, grand and shining. These were lovely stories," Hans murmured.

 _I see her when I close my eyes… Her grin, her laughter, her tears and sorrow, her understanding and her desire, her eyes that looked at me and saw so much deeper into my heart than even I was able to see anymore…_

"What story is that from?" Moren whispered.

"It's working title? The Flying Trunk," he answered. It would likely keep that title. He didn't see himself ever finishing it. It wasn't like it would have had a happy ending anyway. They never did.

"Her and you," Moren remarked.

Hans shook his head. "All that was shared and experienced together, all we could and would speak of… They were lovely stories… When we had them," he soon answered.

"I suppose you have a million other dark little snippets or quotes?" Moren asked, attempting to make things a bit lighter.

"'Yes, it is wonderful to be alive!' Indeed, the Bottle inwardly sang of all this, as do young poets, who frequently also know nothing about the things of which they sing," Hans quoted bluntly in response. Moren tensed up. That was an old one… He had written _that_ little story one day when Iscawin and Franz were being overly merry. At least in Hans's opinion. He'd written it specifically to insult them, an offhanded way to call them naïve and blind to their misery. That he was going back to it disturbed the king greatly. It was from even before that fateful journey to Arendelle.

"You don't have to be afraid, Hans," Moren suddenly said. "Of Mor'du, of the mirror, of the Ice Maiden… We will do whatever it takes to protect you."

"It won't be enough. You're too late anyway. You're too late…" Hans answered. "She was the mirror…"

"What do you mean?" Moren asked, immediately concerned as he looked over, frowning suspiciously.

Hans was quiet. Soon he turned to face his brother. "I'm so afraid," he said in a whisper.

Moren felt his heard twist uncomfortably. "Oh Hans…" he said, sitting up and pulling his brother into a protective hug. "She won't hurt you anymore."

"She's hurt me already. She's gravely wounded me. She's broken me... I feel the shards. I feel my heart changing, growing cold… It's freezing, Moren, and when I look at anything beautiful, I see only darkness and ugliness," he said. "I always have, I think, just I was less aware of it for a while."

 _Elsa was the light, the rope that pulled you back to humanity when you were on the verge of losing it all._

"Don't give in. Don't. Brother, please, don't give in," Moren pled, voice breaking as he willed back threatening tears. "You will bend until you touch the earth, but you will not break. Never break. We will defend you with everything we have."

"How can you defend me from me?" Hans asked. "Or the things that are inside of me?" Moren was quiet. Hans shook his head and laid back down, turning his back to his brother. "I'm afraid…" he repeated again. Moren could only stare, lips parted in fear and pain. "I tried to be more, you know…"

"You were," Moren whispered, voice breaking again. "You _are_. We'll help you. You _will_ not go. We won't let you!"

Hans was quiet. "I know you'll try… But I also know something else," he said. Moren was quiet. He didn't want to ask. He wouldn't! Then maybe Hans wouldn't say it and maybe it wouldn't come to be… He knew it was only an almost childish thought... "I don't want to go to sleep," Hans whispered. Again, Moren didn't ask. Hans didn't wait for him to. "I don't want to go to sleep because I know that when I awaken, there'll be nothing good left of me."

"Then don't sleep," Moren said. "I'll help you stay awake."

"Can you help me stay awake forever?" Hans questioned. Moren was quiet, staring ahead at nothing in silence. This couldn't be happening… "I'm so tired of fighting… It's so much easier just to give in… I'm so tired of fighting… I just want it to end… I'm through with this battle." Caleb looked to his brother. He knew Hans was fighting the urge to sleep… In the end, he was only dragging out the inevitable, though. Maybe that was crueler than anything else, because the youngest prince knew what was happening and what he was becoming, and he knew he was helpless, or felt that way. And they didn't have the time it would take to convince him he wasn't as helpless as he felt after all. Moren sniffed, looking down and covering his mouth, eyes tightly shut. Please… please, any power that be, spare his brother.

 _You're losing him… You're losing your brother! Losing him to the monster within again._

Moren opened his eyes. He couldn't do this… No matter the Ice Maiden's threats, he couldn't go through with this, he couldn't! This needed to end… And if the Ice Maiden dared come again tonight, he would do whatever it took to try and fix what had been broken. He heard Hans's even breathing. His brother was asleep, emotionally drained and exhausted. At least it was some form of respite… He hoped… As long as there were no dreams it would be. He for his part? He didn't believe he could have slept if he tried anymore… So he waited...

 _She will come. She always comes to him. She always finds him. The mirror always finds him…_

Frozen

The room grew cold about two in the morning. The change was instantly felt. Moren, observing his brother as he slept and wishing with all his heart that his siblings could have known what it was to be innocent, glanced towards the door subtly. She was forming. She was approaching… Even here Hans couldn't be safe? He didn't think so. The moment she was within range, he suddenly leapt up and pounced on her, tackling her to the ground and covering her mouth. Without even a hesitation he found himself driving a dagger into her over and over while she tried to scream in rage and struggle. He knew it would do precious little against the Ice Maiden, now literally only ice as a tangible form, but damned if it wasn't making him feel better. He plunged the blade into her throat and wished she was flesh and blood before immediately regretting that thought and banishing it away. He should not be wishing death on anyone… But she had taken his children! She had taken his nieces and nephews, she had taken his sisters-in-law! She had devastated his family so grievously that… Rage and anguish welled in him as he fought to regain control of his temper and emotions.

Withdrawing the dagger, he uncovered her mouth. "You would have made a good assassin," she hissed to him.

"I am through being your puppet. You will not have my brother," he said.

"You know what I hold over…" she began.

"I. Don't. Care," Moren darkly growled in a whisper, close to her face. Which was a lie, he cared so very much, but he couldn't bring himself to go through with this anymore. There would be a way to stop her. There always was… Wasn't there…? Maybe not in time to save… save the families of his brothers, or his own remaining offspring, but… Oh god, he couldn't start to think about that now or he would waver.

"Even should you drive me away, it won't save your brother," she said. "You really think it is only me or the mirror that has brought this about in him? You truly don't know…"

"Know what?" he asked.

She smiled wickedly. "The truth about the shards and your brother. In the end, you see, he only brought it on himself. All of it," she said.

"What do you mean?" he questioned, bristling.

 _You fool, why are you listening to her?!_

"There was once a little prince, the youngest of thirteen. Unlike most little boys his age, he did not live a happy or carefree life. He did not live in innocence. He lived in fear and resentment and anger and confusion, for his father despised him and all his brothers, and frequently abused them with words or with actions or with fists or with anything, really. His mother was ill and weak, and she could do little for her children. His brothers would not protect him, like brothers are supposed to. They would not even protect each other. Instead they laughed and taunted, and sometimes even _they_ did what their father did, and would beat the boy senseless or drive him out like a dog. They would taunt him and belittle him, and for the longest time they would not even give him a name that was his own, only insults. They were little better with each other, of course, but being the youngest he was most vulnerable of them all. The pecking order is such a cruel thing, isn't it? Were the little prince a baby bird, he would have been pecked to death in the nest, a liability. Just another mouth to feed. He would have been pecked to death, and perhaps even the five little baby birds that came before him would have been too," she said.

"Enough," Caleb hissed through clenched teeth.

"He found no respite in anything and nothing brought him joy or relief… Except for when he could manage to sneak away to write or read or be alone. Far from the palace and from those who dared call themselves his family but were family in title only. It wasn't as if anyone would notice him missing. They never seemed to. The child made his way, one day, into the swampy forest where he was not supposed to go. He knew that it was dangerous and that many little boys and girls had disappeared in it, but he didn't care… You see, even at so young an age he would find himself hoping that the swamp would one day swallow him too." Caleb became pale and said nothing.

"Father was gone hunting, his brothers were god only knew where - no one told anyone anything after all - and he could be alone. He played in the muddy swamps, examining frogs and toads and lizards and whatever else his ever-curious little hands could find to explore and examine. He was a very inquisitive and bright boy. Not that anyone ever noticed or cared. He picked pretty flowers nearby and ate the berries he knew were safe and was quite content there that day. He knew, of course, that when he got home he would be beaten for getting dirty, but at least in that moment he could feel _something_ like an actual child, feel _something_ approaching innocence. It was growing late and he needed to go home, though he didn't want to. He wanted to lay down in the swamp and sleep there and then make it his home so he never had to see his brothers or his father again. But he would miss his mommy ever so much, and he didn't want to leave her all alone. He felt like he needed to protect her because he didn't believe anyone else would, and mommy couldn't protect him like mommies were supposed to, so he had to protect her instead," the Ice Maiden continued. Caleb bit back a whimper that tried to well in his throat when he remembered his mother.

"As the little boy was rising to leave, he saw something glittering in the light. Two somethings. Curious, he bent down to see what they were… From the murk, he withdrew two shards that looked as if they had come from a mirror. A mirror in a swamp? What a strange place for a mirror to be, he thought. He wiped them off and looked into them and what he saw fascinated him. Everything they reflected looked so very different from what he knew them to be. It was so funny, but also frightening. He would shine them at frogs and creatures and look to see how they seemed, and for some minutes he examined and played with the shards until he heard horses. Not just any horses, but the horses of his father. Quickly he stood, shoving the shards into his grimy pockets and staring ahead in wide-eyed fear. He could try to run, but daddy would catch him soon. He couldn't run all the way back to the palace, and horses were much faster than he was, so he waited. His father came and saw him and froze with all his hunting party. 'Is that the prince?' one would say. 'No, the prince would be much cleaner. It is a waif, surely,' another would answer. The little prince swallowed fearfully. Anger clouded his embarrassed father's vision and he reached down, seizing him by the shirt and lifting the squealing child up, plopping him in front of him on the horse and riding towards the castle again without saying a word to his little one.

When they arrived by the stables, the King dismounted his horse and dragged his child from it and began to yell at him angrily. 'Why were you out there, you wretched little bastard? You were ordered to stay in the palace! How dare you defy me? Answer me!' he roared. 'I-I only wanted to play!' the boy insisted. 'You stupid little pest. Get inside, now! You'll be dealt with soon enough,' the King ordered, and quickly the little one tried to scramble away, but his father saw something in his pocket. 'Hans!' he sharply said, and the little prince stopped. 'What do you have in your pocket?' The little prince wouldn't answer. 'What are you hiding?!' the King roared, going to seize him, but thinking quickly the little boy pulled out from his pocket a pretty little flower he had picked, showing it to his daddy. His daddy was surprised. 'I picked it for you, papa. I had another for mama, but it fell out when you picked me up,' the child claimed through his fearful tears.

The King… he was stunned silent, and for a moment, just a _moment_ , you could see, even if only in a flicker, something of the man he had once been… Before the mirror, before the shards, before he was consumed… And he took the flower into his hand and gazed at it for so long, gently fingering the petals, and the little prince stood, head bowed and shivering… Then the mirror came back and his father threw the flower to the ground and stepped on it right in front of the child. The order was silent but clear. The little prince ran back inside, breaking down in tears… But daddy gave him no punishment that night, like he had said he would… Your father was stronger than he seemed, you know, Caleb. So much stronger than he seemed. But always a flicker was all he could manage, because there is a difference, you know, between your daddy being consumed by the shards and your brother voluntarily _choosing_ to live with them."

"What? What do you mean?" Caleb whispered, pale.

The Ice Maiden smirked cruelly. "The little boy placed the shards on his bedside table and often looked at them and wondered about them. About how they came to be. Curiosity one day drove him to go into the library and ask his big brother, one of the only ones that could be considered semi-nice to him, at least on occasion, about why bits of a mirror would be in a place as odd as a swamp. His brother, a historian, told him what little he knew, at that time, about the evil mirror and the wicked hobgoblin, and the little boy began to wonder. That night when he returned, he looked into the mirrors again and he felt and saw the darkness… He knew what they were… Some time passed, perhaps only months, perhaps years, I couldn't say, and one day he staggered into his bedroom sobbing and in agony. His brothers had caught him outside, you see, and they had said he had gotten in the way of their game and so he must be punished, and all together they began to hurt him and humiliate him and treat him like a whipping boy or a beast to be beaten. He believed they were going to kill him. I think they intended to. You watched, Caleb, from your balcony far above. You tell me. Did they plan to kill him?"

Caleb was silent, tears slipping down his cheeks as he remembered that day. "Yes…" he whispered in an agonizing confession. "Yes…" he repeated, voice breaking. They had planned to kill him… And if any of the rest of them had happened to get caught in the fray and killed as well, none of them would have protested or wept… And he'd watched… Just watched… And he had hoped that… that it would _not_ be quick…

The Ice Maiden smiled coldly. "But the little boy managed to slip away. No one really knows how to this day, but he did, and he ran to his parents to tell them but found only his father, for mother was ill and in bed. His father had told him he should have given in and let his brothers do what they would. His father told him it would have been less painful, because that was what had happened when they all decided to beat poor Justic to death only some days earlier. Justic's giving in, though, had taken away all the fun in the murder, and so they had left him in disgust to crawl himself brokenly to a town doctor. Justic who would then help in beating up the little prince later on. It was that way often, you see. There wasn't one of you who didn't go through the pain of your siblings attempting to murder you. Of course, the triplets and twins were always gang beaten in their respective groups. After all, heaven forbid they turn on each _other_ , say for very rarely. They showed no such mercy to others. Oh, but I'm getting off track.

The little boy fled to his room in tears, cursing his brothers, cursing his father, cursing his mother, cursing himself… Cursing even life… And he wanted to kill them all… He wanted to go into Rhun's alchemy lab and steal one of the poisons and put some in all their food and drinks, and as he was preparing to go and do just that, he saw the shards again… He picked one of them up curiously, and he wondered… If the mirror helped his heart not feel so hurt by the treachery and abuse of his brothers, would it be as painful when it happened? He so wanted the hurt to stop. Even if only a little. Not the physical hurt, but the emotional. And he wanted to be stronger and braver and feel powerful and not helpless again, and maybe the mirror would do all of that, if he wished it to. The child, the little boy—oh such dark thoughts he had, but then you all had such very dark thoughts. I don't think there was even one of you who didn't consider suicide or genocide at least once—he took that shard and pressed it to his chest and drew a breath. Maybe it would hurt, but then it would only hurt for a moment, right? Maybe it was not part of the wicked mirror and instead it would kill him, but then who would notice if he was gone really? There was nothing to lose... So, he plunged the shard into his heart and it wasted no time absorbing into his body… But he felt nothing… There was no change… What he became aware of instead was just how _acutely_ he felt nothing. What he became aware of was all that he was feeling. His hatred, his rage, his resentment, his fear, his sadness, all they meant…" Caleb sobbed, shaking his head in denial. This wasn't true. It couldn't be true…

 _But it is… If nothing else she has said has ever been true, this is._

"And the eyes?" Caleb whispered.

"Another brother, enraged at the near loss of his twin and breaking down in hatred and anger and disgust. He knew who it was who had talked the others into attacking them. He knew it was the little prince who had paid his older brothers to go out and make sure they never came back, because he and his twin had sorely mistreated the little one and terrified him. They killed a little bird that the boy had been taking care of, a nightingale that sang so beautifully. It had hit a window and was injured, and so the little prince took it in and tried to make it better, but they had found it and they had thrown it to a cat saying it was going to die anyway. They were right, of course, but the little prince did not know that. In some twisted way, perhaps the two older brothers had thought it was a mercy… To make sure the little one did not have to see the little creature die despite all his efforts to keep it alive, and therefore not feel he failed. Perhaps it was a twisted mercy, to make themselves the villains so the littlest would not have to feel like one… But he did, because he couldn't protect the little bird. He wanted them to pay, and they did.

Their brothers had caught them in the forest and they had attacked them with knives and swords. The older of the twins was weaker than the younger. He could not bear up under the attacks like his brother could, and he collapsed to the ground near death. How the other twin managed to carry his sibling away from their brothers not even _they_ could ever figure out. The older twin lay dying, and the younger twin wanted blood… So he went after the littlest prince and came into his room while he was reading and did not even say a word before he was dashing the little one's head against the walls and furniture as the child screamed and wept and begged for mercy and said sorry over and over. His brother wouldn't hear him. His brother wanted to kill him. His brother threw his head down onto the bedside table where the shard was… When the older heard the shriek of anguish the little one gave out as the shard was driven into his eyes and into his head, he returned to his senses and stopped. He couldn't see what had happened, the shards are not like real shards that would have taken out the child's eye or even killed him. He just knew that that shriek, that unholy shriek, meant something very, very bad and he couldn't tell what… He left the little boy alone after that and ran… He was afraid of himself… You were _all_ afraid of yourselves, weren't you? And of each other." Caleb was quiet, unable to even find his voice to speak anymore. He wept instead silently and helplessly. Like he'd never wept before.

"The child didn't see things any different, like most did. He just… saw things clearer. And his thoughts became so much darker and his plans and deceits so much more elaborate, because he could see… he could see what you were inside… He had become the mirror itself, it had bonded to him for he had chosen it where others had been unwittingly ensnared in its magic, and all he witnessed he could reflect. No man, woman, or child was hidden from him, and the depths of their hearts he could mimic and echo. There became no role he couldn't play, no lie he couldn't master, no deceit he couldn't carry out, because he saw all that they were and knew all they wanted to hear. He could soothe those about to die at his hand on his father's order, make them trust, make them lower their guard, and then just as easily end their lives… Strange… He always did it quickly… It should have been the first sign that the shards hadn't consumed him. Your father was consumed by the shards. Your brother _chose_ them. Or chose to learn to live with them. You couldn't tell that he had the shards within him, could you? Not even after you learned all about them could you tell, though you suspected. Suspected but could not be certain because he was still human. He was still there. He could show mercy and often did. He could lie about carrying out an execution when really he had helped the condemned get away. He could choose to do both good and bad depending on where he was drawn, and that wasn't how the mirror was supposed to work, it wasn't, and so you didn't know.

You couldn't be blamed for not knowing, none of you. His heart was frozen solid in his breast… But the woman found it. His little nightingale. His Snow Queen. She found it and melted it, and through him she became _your_ respite as well. You and all your brothers… And he reflected and reflected, and as you all got better so did he, and then… then he didn't anymore. He stopped reflecting and began to fluctuate. One moment reflecting the good, then suddenly regressing in fear to the bad again and again, and then good and then good and then bad, and then? Then he was free. He was free… He _thought_ he was… But no man is truly free. Least of all him. It would have been better if he had stayed the mirror. Then he would not be lost to you now… He wouldn't be lost to you now…"

Suddenly Moren was aware she was gone. Not even an icy shard on the ground. Nothing. Just him weeping and Hans fast asleep on the bed. Broken, Moren crawled to his brother and knelt at his sibling's side. He took his sibling's hand tightly in his own and rested his forehead against Hans's, willing back the agony he felt and the guilt. "Don't leave… Don't leave… Baby brother, I beg you. Don't give in. Don't let yourself be consumed by your own reflection. If nothing else pegs you to humanity, then let _us_. I know we don't deserve it. I know we don't deserve to be your salvation. We would be the last pegs to hold you to humanity, wouldn't we? But please… Though we are weak supports, at least we are _something_. Anything… I won't let you go. _We_ won't let you go. Not anymore. Hans… please… Don't give up. Never give up. Fight, baby brother, I beg you. Don't leave… Don't leave…"

 _He fell asleep in that position that night…_


	16. Wicked Prince

Wicked Prince

(A/N: Near copy of the first chapter title, but you'll see why soon enough. Might show up a few more times too. And here the first snippets of Hans formulating the story 'The Snow Queen'.)

Hans awoke to the feel of his brother clutching his hand and frowned confusedly. Opening his eyes, he gave Moren a curious look. Had the king lost his mind? With a scoff, Hans pulled away, rolling his eyes. He wasn't even going to ask. Quietly he slipped out of bed and moved towards the door. He paused a moment, looking back at the King. Should he move him into the bed? No, why bother? Moren would be fine. Besides, he had… plans to carry out. That involved the Ice Maiden and signing away his whole life forever more; but hey, he'd done that already with the mirror and Carabis, so what really would be the difference? Shoving open the door, he left the room.

How he found her cavernous hideout he wasn't sure. He felt as though he must have blacked out or been 'blinded' in some sense, possibly by Carabis, but she was there and he was there and what was the point of running anymore anyway? Running never did anyone any good. Besides, there was nowhere for him to run to. His brothers? He didn't think so. Elsa? …Elsa…

 _Forget her. She has forsaken me. I owe her nothing anymore._

 _Don't I love her anymore?_

 _Yes. No. What does it even matter? Love is lie… It was always a lie…_

"Why have you come to find me, prince?" the Ice Maiden questioned. "Brewing a little plot already?"

"Don't you know, Ice Maiden?" he asked.

She gave a silky smile. "No riddles, my lord. Have you laid out a plan or haven't you?" she wondered.

He bowed his head and chuckled darkly. "My lady, when you can see into the darkest depths of a person's being, plotting becomes… trivial. Redundant. I can improvise if I can do nothing else. It's almost embarrassingly easy when I know just what they want to see and hear."

"Was this what you once were? I'm impressed," she said. "Where did _this_ side of you go?"

"I told you, Maiden. It was always there," he answered. But when Elsa had reached what he had once thought was his heart, for a while, at least, he had been using it for all the right reasons…

 _I don't want this… I need to go to her! She may hear me._

 _No… She will never hear me again… I won't give her the chance to…_

He looked up at the Queen of the Glaciers, meeting her eyes. "And now I'm here. And I will help you and the master reach whatever goal you strive for, no matter how dark. It's not like I'm new to evil anyway."

She chuckled darkly and went to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "What of the Snow Queen?" she asked.

Hans was quiet. "What Snow Queen?" he finally replied.

She grinned wickedly. "Oh we will be so happy together," she purred, stroking his hair. He turned away from her when her lips came too close. Somehow, he very much doubted her words. "Hmm… Even broken you still fight. You're strong. Like your father was," she said. "Or could have been if he'd ever stood even a fighting chance against the wicked mirror."

"If I still fight, I'm not broken," he answered, pulling away from her.

She was quiet. She… had never really thought of things in that way before… She shifted slightly. _She_ had broken… She had broken so very easily… But she had had no choice! Vertigo's very existence had relied on her obeying!

 _No. Now it does, because of your own mistake, but back then? It didn't… You could have fought… You should have._

She shook her head, forcing away those nagging thoughts, then turned her smile on him again. "All the better to use you," she said. "But I can't fully trust your loyalty just yet, even with the lives of your family on the line."

"What test of loyalty would you have me carry out?" Hans asked.

She chuckled darkly and moved closer to him. "You will bring me the Snow Queen's head on a platter," she hissed. "You see, I very much dislike having to share my powers with that pathetic excuse for a queen. I've never tolerated rivals well."

 _Elsa is a thousand times the woman you'll ever be…_

 _Just shut up and let it go… Let her go… This was what I wanted in the beginning anyway…_

 _But this isn't the beginning anymore…_

 _Shut. Up._

"Oh, believe me, it'll be all my pleasure," Hans replied. Deceit he could do. Traitor Prince, remember?

"Mmm, revenge is a dish best served cold," she said. "In more ways than one… You won't regret it. If all goes well, maybe Carabis will give you her pretty little head to display as a trophy."

 _I don't want her head as a trophy. No part of her should ever be made a trophy… No, I can do this._

 _You've always liked seeing fear… Even at your best you liked it you sadistic, twisted little creature. It made me feel powerful… Do you remember how deeply you once loved power?_

 _Of course I do. I never stopped. It'll serve me well now._

Inwardly and darkly, bitterly, he chuckled at the inner argument. "Tempt me with more than that," he answered.

"Very well. Arendelle. You will have Arendelle. When your nation is allied to me, nothing will stand to you. Your brother's imprisoning Elsa and condemning her to death was an act of war. When news of her demise returns to her kingdom, follow it immediately with onslaught. The land will fall. Her sister is ill-equipped to handle an unexpected siege, let alone one from a land which they are supposed to be at peace with. The sister's husband will be of little use. When you've captured the land, bring him to me alive. I'll deal with him myself, as an example to the little princess," the Ice Maiden said. It appeared navigating this prince would prove harder than she'd expected, but at least he wasn't protesting. She had him by the coattails. And if she played this game right, she could get him to do her dirty work _for_ her in regards to Kristoff.

"Agreed," Hans said.

"Oh darling, it's perfect. I'll bring Carabis the good news then return here soon to tell you where she is. I know of her coordinates, far away from any civilization. I know where she might be fleeing. She believes it is her death you and your brothers want. In your heart, you _do_ want her death, don't you? As much as you deny it," the Ice Maiden said.

"Just stop talking," Hans hollowly answered. Before he finished what he'd started with her. "It won't be long before the Snow Queen is dead," the prince continued. "Count on it."

 _Please god, let me die there at her hands. I don't want her kingdom anymore. I don't want to be somebody… I just want her…_

But he would never have her… Not after this.

 _For the sake of your brothers… I half wonder if I'm only lying to myself when I say it's for them I've agreed to this…_

 _Are you becoming lost in your masks again, Chameleon Prince? Maybe I was never free from them…_

Turning, he left the Ice Maiden behind without looking back. The Ice Maiden smiled her icy smile and vanished into the air.

Frozen

Hans walked through the cavern in silence. He wished he could say he was deep in thought, but he couldn't. He wasn't thinking anything at all… He felt like he was just going through the motions. A hollow shell… Hey, it's just business… Just business… He suddenly froze, a dark sensation pulling at his heart. He turned, looking down an adjacent tunnel in this cave. After a moment, he walked down it.

 _He could feel the shards pulsating…_

He came into a large chamber and stopped. He wished he could say a chill had run through him. That would imply he could still feel emotion, after all. But there was nothing. He just stared at the horrifying looking thing. The Cursed mirror, only very partially rebuilt. For a long time, he was still. Finally, he approached it. When he didn't fight the masks, he realized, the mirror didn't hurt so much… Or at all… He stopped in front of it, looking it up and down.

 _This was the fate you chose, though you were only a child…_

He shook his head. He hadn't known better then… Or had but simply hadn't cared… He reached out, touching the partial reflection. It began to waver and Hans frowned curiously. A figure came into view and he started. A man? Or what was like a man. If it were mortal like him, he would be seeing it as a body. After all, that was what he was seeing in all the other reflections of men who had been ensnared in this web. Twisted corpses with mirror shards sticking out. Dead but not truly dead. This man, though, sensing his presence, turned and started, eyes widening. Hans stared in silence.

 _"You,"_ the man hissed in what sounded like a garbled voice. Like he wasn't supposed to be able to speak but could, somehow. The man was speaking through the shards within him, Hans soon realized. That would explain the garbled sounds and the quivering and warping image that also seemed like it wasn't supposed to be.

Hans tilted his head, observing the other. "Who are you?" he questioned after a moment.

 _"You… hear me…? You… see me?"_ the figure asked, genuinely seeming surprised.

Hans bowed his head, closing his eyes. After a moment, he opened them again, meeting the gaze of the other. "Of course I do. You're a part of _me_ ," he soon answered. "Or the things within me."

The figure was silent. _"I am Vertigo,"_ he soon answered.

"A nature spirit trapped within a mirror. I suppose not even the hobgoblin, despite the kind of twisted fae he is, can kill a nature spirit," Hans remarked.

 _"He made a good go of it,"_ Vertigo deadpanned. _"You're not supposed to see or hear me… She can't… Not anymore…"_

Hans was silent. After a moment, he smirked and darkly chuckled. "So you're the one she's done all this for," he bluntly said. "You're the one she murdered my nephews and nieces and sisters-in-law for. You're the one she tortures my brothers endlessly for. You're the one…"

 _"Who she tortures also herself for,"_ Vertigo cut off, eyes flashing darkly.

"She hasn't begun to suffer," Hans answered with a sneer. He began to pace. "Were you worth the lives of those children and women, nature spirit?"

Vertigo was quiet. _"No,"_ he finally answered.

"Funny. _She_ thought you were," Hans said.

 _"And if it were her in here, I would think **she** was,"_ Vertigo answered.

"Love. Hah! The most pathetic, worthless, disgusting… _painful_ … emotion in existence," Hans said. He paused, closing his eyes and looking upwards at nothing, letting the cold of the cavern surround him. "I would have thought nature spirits were above such things," he soon finished. Vertigo was quiet. Hans soon looked at him again, silently summing him up. All at once he lunged at the mirror, slamming his hands against it. Vertigo cried out in anguish, feeling his whole essence quaking. Hans watched silently as the image in the mirror dissolved. When it was gone, he drew back from the looking glass.

 _"_ _What have you done to me?!"_

"Probably the dumbest thing I've ever done or ever _will_ do," Hans deadpanned. "Consider it my last act of goodness… Saving those who took everything from my brothers and me. Sparing those who should never be spared. Forgiving what can never be forgiven… One good turn deserves another… _She_ forgave what should never have been forgiven… Maybe one day something will come of it. Or nothing... Nothing came of it for her..."

Vertigo was silent. He knew immediately who and what the prince meant. The Snow Queen… She had forgiven the Wicked Prince that should never have been forgiven. And now that Wicked Prince would turn his back on her once more for the final and worst time…

"But I suppose life is a chance. Now be still, nature spirit. Quiet yourself… You're safe now… In time maybe your lady fair will be too. Maybe," Hans said. Vertigo stirred inside the shards within the young prince but soon settled. Inside of his prison he could do nothing for her. He couldn't reach her, he couldn't protect her. All he could do was hope and pray.

"Prince Hans," the Ice Maiden sang out, returning to him. "She's not far now. Go. Meet her and end her miserable life."

"Gladly," Hans answered, marching quickly away.

Frozen

"Where has he gone? Where's Hans?!" Moren demanded of his equally panicked brothers. They'd soured the palace from top to bottom and the youngest prince was nowhere to be found!

"We don't know!" Duach exclaimed in fear. What if the Ice Maiden had gotten him? "Lars, please, what do you see?!" he demanded, turning to the seer.

"Nothing. I-I see nothing!" Lars replied anxiously, pacing. He couldn't see anything or even elicit a vision!

"Elsa," Kelin-Sel suddenly said. They all turned to him quickly. He was pale as if just realizing something. "He went after Elsa! He must have! If the Ice Maiden got to him, or if the shards… There's no other place he would have gone!"

"He could have killed himself," Calcas seriously pointed out.

"But he didn't. He wouldn't have," Kelin-Sel replied. "I mean the kid's a piece of work, but in _his_ eyes, killing himself would be more of a mercy for him than he deserved. He went after Elsa. We've got to find him before he loses all the humanity that he ever gained back! Before he loses himself in those damned masks again. We need to stop him from hurting her! Or more likely? Stop her from hurting him."

"Go, get to the horses! We're finding that boy if it's the last thing we do!" Moren ordered immediately. Swiftly all of them hurried to get to the stables and saddle up. They had a limited time to pull this off. They needed to act now. In not too long, they were galloping away from the palace and away from the town surrounding it, darting into the wilds of the Southern Isles.

Frozen

Elsa gazed in silence at the lake in front off her, arms wrapped tightly around herself. It was where she'd gone with the prince, that night they'd jumped hand-in-hand into the waters. She had felt so renewed that day. So very sure that he… that maybe the sunbeams had been right and he'd loved her… She should have listened to him. Time and time again she told herself to stop running, and now, when she'd most needed to stay, she'd fled. But she'd had no choice! They would have killed her! They would have…

 _He would have protected you…_

But what if he wouldn't have? 'It becomes you'… He had said 'it becomes you'. She gave a choking gasp, shutting her eyes tightly as if trying to erase the image of what she'd seen.

 _It was the monster…_

She sniffed, opening her eyes again. But his being the monster hadn't stopped her from trying to help him before… She set her jaw determinedly, eyes narrowed. He wasn't gone. The man hadn't been erased that night he'd died! She wouldn't let him be taken away from her!

 _But he's already gone… You saw it too late, and now… now he's gone…_

No! No, he wasn't gone! He wasn't, he couldn't… Oh gods…

 _You're only kidding yourself._

"No…" she whimpered quietly. "Please… Please…"

"Please what?" his voice said, and slowly she looked up and ahead at nothing, eyes gradually widening and a chill running up her spine.

 _That is the voice of the Wicked Prince…_

Frozen

Elsa gasped, spinning around. "Hans," she said numbly, stepping back a step.

 _In his eyes there was no man. They were so stoic and cold…_

"What's wrong, Elsa?" he cooed soothingly, stepping towards her.

 _His tone is a lie. He is a lie._

"Don't make me say goodbye," she pled to him, shaking her head in denial.

"Elsa, what are you talking about? It's me," he said, with a smile.

 _She watched his expression change seamlessly into another._

He didn't hide the fact he'd slipped on a mask. He didn't even try. "You don't need to be afraid of me, nightingale," he continued. And if she hadn't seen that change, that damnable change, she might have actually bought it.

 _You are good at your masks, chameleon. So good…_

He came right up to her. She didn't run. She didn't know why she didn't run. He gently tilted her chin up so her eyes would meet his… They were so gentle… So kind… And his smile, it matched his eyes and she could almost feel herself being put at ease even though she knew, she _knew_ , that wasn't so… Her teeth were gently clenched, tears burning her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Don't go," she whispered, hoping to on some level reach him again. "Please don't go." There was his hand, rested on her waist. She closed her eyes.

 _How long before his gentle caress becomes a sword through your belly? Why won't you run?_

She felt his hand slip away from her waist.

 _He has taken hold of his blade. You can almost feel it entering your body… Maybe it has… He's that good._

"Oh Elsa," he said in his soothing tone, nose gently touching hers. She knew what would come next. She felt his mask dissolve. She sensed the icy smile that parted his lips. He drew back. "If only I had actually loved you." She opened her eyes, swallowing tightly, and met his own. Dread shot through her and her heart dropped into an abyss.

 _Those are the eyes that shattered your sister…_

"Your hand rests on your sword… Why haven't you run me through yet?" she heard herself whisper, _challenge_ , in response.

 _Why hasn't he taken you life with that one breath?_

He started, taken aback. She took the opportunity and pulled away from him, racing to the side and fleeing!

Frozen

Hans looked after her in shock then immediately pursued with a scowl. He didn't call out to her. Calling her name wouldn't make her stop. He didn't think he could handle saying it out loud again anyway.

 _Behind her spread winter..._

He watched her fleeing in dead silence. It felt almost eerie, seeing her like this.

 _She is flying there, where the swarm is thickest. She is the largest of them all, and never remains on the earth, but flies up to the ark clouds. Often at midnight she flies through the streets of the town, and looks in at the windows, then the ice freezes on the panes into wonderful shapes, that look like flowers and castles._

He felt a tightening in his throat but ignored it, willing on the mask again. He put on a burst of speed, teeth gritted. He was almost there, almost within striking range. Now! He swung at her… But all at once she spun, conjuring an icy sword in her hand and blocking his attack. He was so startled she threw him off balance, knocking him back and glaring. "I'm not without my tricks either, Traitor Prince," she hissed, tears in her eyes as an icy storm began to form around her.

 _She was fair and beautiful, but made of ice. Shining and glittering ice. Still she was alive, and her eyes sparkled like bright stars, but there was neither peace nor rest in their glance._

"You really think you can stand?" he asked, giving her a dark look.

"If I were battling with sword alone? No. But I have more tricks than that," she answered. "No fair play in life and death, my lord." Hans gasped as suddenly spike after spike shot from the ground trying to impale various parts of his body. He was glad she wasn't aiming for anything vital. Yet. She turned and fled once more. With an angered yell, he cut through the spikes and tried to catch up again.

Elsa fled as fast as she could, lungs screaming in protest. She burst from the forest and slid to a stop, catching her breath. A cliff! Below ran a fast-moving river. The fall wasn't a risk she was willing to take. She heard his footsteps and spun with a gasp just in time to see him right before he seized her wrists roughly and fought to grapple her to the ground. She struggled just as determinedly against him. She saw the gun at his side, opposite the blade.

 _He didn't shoot you. He could have._

She let out an icy blast, knocking him back with a cry as he wiped frantically at his face to get the ice off. He felt her tackle him and cried out in alarm, losing his footing and falling to the ground. She took the opportunity to try and stand and flee while he was off his feet. He wasn't about to stand for that. He rolled over, stumbling to his feet, lunging, and grabbing her from behind, lifting her off the ground as she gave a scream. He threw her towards the cliff, but she recovered her footing quickly and glared at him, panting. He was panting too. With an angered cry, she went at him again, hoping to throw him off balance. She only ended up locking them both in a grapple again. She knew she stood no chance against him in a physical fight, but she had something he didn't. Magic. Again she zapped his body with a sharp cold that made him yelp and pull back swiftly.

 _This is happening. This is actually happening! Stop, Hans. Please._

He shook his hands, trying to get warmth into them again, then looked at her with a sharp scowl. She stood still, staring at him warily and waiting for his next attack. Fine. He hated to keep her waiting. Immediately he went at her. She let out an ice attack at the same time. With a cry, Hans moved quickly to the side to avoid the large spike… only to feel the ground suddenly not properly under him. Oh no!

He gasped, feeling the edge starting to give way with him on it. "Hans!" Elsa screamed, paling and racing towards him. She reached out, trying to catch his hand. She caught his wrist, but she failed to get a strong enough grip on it. In terror she felt his hand slip from hers as he gave a terrified cry, falling off the cliff. She fell to the ground, reaching in vain after him. She saw him splash down into the water… He didn't come up… The river was steadily freezing in the wake of her emotionally charged winter, and she couldn't stop it. She could only watch in dread as it closed up over the water, leaving him no escape that she could see. All was silent. Her heart beat loudly in her chest. All at once she gave a cry, covering her mouth and closing her eyes.

 _He isn't dead. Do you really believe he would die so easily?_

No… But she didn't see how he could have made it either… She looked down towards the water, tears threatening her eyes but not falling. She prayed he had made it... She shouldn't pray he was alive, but she did. So very desperately. Getting to her feet, she turned and ran again.

Frozen

Hans splashed down into the water and was shocked by the cold. She was freezing it, he realized in terror. It was freezing! He had to get to the surface. Immediately he swam with the current, trying to break the surface. He was met with ice and struck it, inwardly cursing. He swam swiftly downstream again. There had to be some place not covered over yet! Wait. There! A beam of light that was steadily closing off. He put on a burst of speed, swimming his best to reach it. Almost there. Almost… There! He broke the surface, gasping for breath, and quickly scrambled out onto the ice, crawling towards the riverbank just as the hole closed up behind him.

Coughing and spitting out water, her turned. Suddenly he was acutely aware of how chilly he was. Icy water and snow? Yeah, not a great mix. He needed to get somewhere warm. He needed to light a fire and get out of these wet clothes! If he didn't, hypothermia would end him where the river and the fall hadn't. He could go after Elsa again after he ensured his own survival in this damned frozen waste. He staggered up, stumbling into the woods, but no matter how he searched he couldn't find the means for building a fire! His vision was hazy, his limbs felt weak. He was so hot. How could that be in the cold, though? Wait, he remembered reading somewhere that when people were freezing to death, sometimes this overwhelming sense of heat would strike them. They'd strip off their clothes and basically seal their fate. Of course, given how soaked his own clothing was, he'd probably be better _off_ stripping. His vision was darkening. He gave a strangled gasp, losing his footing and falling to his knees. He inwardly cursed, body violently shaking, and wrapped his arms around himself, closing his eyes tightly and clenching his teeth… It was odd, how at peace he felt. Dryly, and inwardly, he chuckled. He was almost happy for this… He'd wanted to die at her hand, after all…

"Hans!" he heard a voice shout. A male voice. A brother's voice. He felt something draped over him and felt instantly warmer. A fur? Quivering, he forced his eyes open and looked up. His brothers were there! They raced to tend to him, draping him with warm blankets. He felt himself being picked up and gave up, letting himself pass out. Either they saved him or they didn't. It didn't matter to him one iota what happened at this point. He just wanted to feel at peace, even if only for a short while…


	17. Deeper and Deeper

Deeper and Deeper

(A/N: Sorry for the wait. Work happened and haven't had time to post anything until today. Not overly happy with this chapter, but the next ones will get better. Considering posting two today, to make up for lost time, but might not have opportunity to. Depends.)

Elsa stood in the cave she had fled to silently, holding herself close and willing away the tears she felt in her eyes. She'd _known_ she'd let him become too much a weakness. Him and his brothers all, but him most of all. She'd known it and still… She sniffed, looking up and brushing her bangs back.

 _He's dead… No, he isn't! He's, he's… Even if he's alive, the man is dead… The man is dead…_

"No," she whispered. No! She wouldn't let him go!

 _But is there even a choice at this point anymore?_

She didn't… she didn't know… Something somewhere along the lines had gone so very, very wrong. Maybe she should have listened to him. Even if she had, though, if his brothers had come she would have been killed! She was their enemy… They'd made her their enemy… She closed her eyes tight, swallowing. What if, though, this was all so much deeper than she knew? On the other hand, if she tried to reason, if she tried to fix things and still they wouldn't hear her…

 _If I am to be their enemy, then I will_ _ **be**_ _their enemy… Such an enemy… But I don't want to have to be…_

She opened her eyes slowly and swallowed. She had to be ready for anything. She would go there and try again to talk to them and… Wait. Her eyes widened and she spun around, sending out a powerful spell. It was deflected and she stared coldly at where she had attacked. Emerging from the crumbling ice came the woman. Greta. But Greta wasn't her name. What was she? Had they ever told her? She couldn't recall, if they had. It had been an emotional month and a half. Elsa was quiet as she eyed the other woman. "Who are you?" she finally questioned.

"You know who I am, Elsa," the woman replied in Greta's voice.

"I know the mask you wore," she answered. "Who are you?"

'Greta' was silent. Soon, though, she smirked. "I am the Ice Maiden," she replied in a tone markedly different than the false one she had put on for so long. "And I've come to tell you your young man is still alive. He is with his brothers now. They're hunting you, you know."

"Why did they become my enemies? What have you done to them?" Elsa asked.

"I've done nothing," she replied. "They did it to themselves. They are a family of deceivers, my Lady Queen. Did you not guess as much from how easily the youngest played you? And himself, for that matter. I think that for a time he truly believed he loved you…" Elsa felt her heart drop and felt suddenly ill. "He's that good, after all," the maiden added with a cold smirk.

 _What if she was right…?_

"Go away," Elsa said, turning from her. "You won't get to me. I'm going back there, and I _will_ have audience with the king."

"Before you do, perhaps you should brush up a little more on the history of the Southern Isles. And her princes who have time and time again ravaged her," the Ice Maiden said. "Go to the Duke of Weselton. He has an extensive library on all his allies. Learn what you can from him and draw your conclusions. See whether you will still believe in the goodness of this family of psychopaths and traitors then. Of them all he is the worst, you know. Hans is."

"Leave," Elsa said, not facing her.

"Take my advice, my lady Queen. What you find may open your eyes wider than you ever wanted them to be opened, but at least then you will not be caught so blind again," the Ice Maiden said. Elsa gave no response. "You have a very short time, in which to see the Duke. As we speak your fiancé plans your demise. They will find you, wherever you might be, and will kill you. Or perhaps do worse. Put their land to the sword, maybe, in order to draw you out? Force themselves on you?"

"You don't frighten me, Ice Maiden," Elsa answered, turning to her. Though… maybe she _would_ take the woman's advice and look into their history more. She wouldn't, however, believe that they would harm her as grievously as the Ice Maiden had implied. Nor would she believe they would put their own land to the sword to lure her out. They wouldn't, would they?

 _They won't harm_ _ **you**_ _, but their people…? That may be another story depending on what history tells you._

"It would do you much better if I _were_ scaring you," the Ice Maiden answered. "Maybe then you would stand a chance." With that she vanished, and Elsa was left alone to think agonizingly on her words. After a time, she turned, marching out of the icy cavern. She went to the sleigh she had conjured up and mounted it quickly. She looked in the direction of the distant black castle and shifted, turning away from it and closing her eyes. The moment she had what she needed, she would return here and wait for them. And hope that this time they would hear her… Swiftly she started off towards Weselton.

Frozen

She gazed out the window of the Duke's palace quietly, then closed her eyes, swallowing. The old man had expressed his disbelief and his outrage, when she had told him what had happened. He very nearly had gotten on a boat to go confront Moren himself, in fact, but much to her gratitude, he hadn't pushed for war. Given he wasn't shy about entering conflicts, it had been a surprise, though a very welcomed one. She didn't think she could have handled hearing him, or anyone, suggest she declare war on the Isles. She wasn't in the mental place to do that right now. She wanted peace and quiet so she could think for herself. She'd been badgered by the Duke's court all trying to tell her what to think and do. She was tired of people thinking for her. At least people who didn't even know what they were talking about. The Duke of Weselton, however, _did_ , and so she wouldn't mind being told what to do by him in this case. Goodness knew how many years of experience the man had under his belt.

Said Duke was sitting with her now in the study, sipping tea and keenly watching her. After a moment, he put the tea down and rose. "My dear," he said. Elsa turned to him woefully. "You need to sort this out with King Moren. It is the only way confrontation between your nations can be avoided. Do not go there alone. If you do, you're on enemy territory, but write to him. Plead with him. Keep on writing and writing until he makes it official. Do not do it yourself. Until one or the other of you puts the decree in writing, you are at peace, if only a very shaky one."

"I can't do what you say, papa… I have to go to them alone. I won't put anyone else at risk, otherwise I would do exactly what you're suggesting… But I trust they can be reached, just… just what _happened_?" she questioned, sitting down and holding herself close. "I don't know what happened."

The Duke was quiet. Soon he sighed and approached her. He covered her hands with his and she looked up at him. "When something changes so dramatically so quickly, it isn't for nothing. Caleb is not his father. Nothing he does or orders is without reason, and a damn good one if it's something like this. I can't claim to know what changed, but something frightened him, I think. Very, very, very badly. So badly that he believed there wasn't a choice anymore."

"A threat from me?" Elsa asked.

"No… In fact, I have a very dark suspicion that you are just the unwitting finale of an unspoken fight he has found himself and his brothers in," he answered. She looked worriedly at him. "The shadows know things, my darling. I may not like the lot, but they're the best darned spies I've ever _had_."

"Who else have you been keeping tabs on?" Elsa asked, frowning at him and raising an eyebrow.

"Everyone," the Duke replied, shiftily looking around.

"Your paranoia is going to kill you early, dear Duke," Elsa said with a sigh.

"One can never be too prepared!" the Duke insisted.

"Do the shadows know anything? About what might have happened on the Southern Isles?" she asked.

"I can ask," he answered. "Though I'm loathe to, it seems you and Anna become more and more the exceptions to the rules as time goes by."

"Anything you can do to help, dear Duke," Elsa hopefully said. Humph, maybe _she_ should hire some shadows.

"Erik, Francis, send out the shadow spies for the Southern Isles!" the Duke called out the door.

"Yes sir," the two men replied together, hurrying to obey.

The Duke shut the door and turned to Elsa again. He summed her up silently. She was playing with the engagement ring on her finger. Oh yes, Hans… That was a topic neither of them had dared breach thus far. No more hiding from it, he supposed. "Do you believe he loves you?" the Duke questioned.

"The sunbeams believed he did," she answered. "But I don't think they're exactly the most reliable sources."

"The good nature spirits, like the fae, tell no lie, or rarely do," the Duke remarked. "While the fae, of course, will hide the truth and withhold information, the good nature spirits won't take such measures, as far as I know. Never. Err, next to never. Oh, who can tell with that lot? Now, you wanted to do research for yourself. On the history of the princes, I believe. The archives are open to you, dearest. When the spies have returned with information, I will share it with you. Run along now."

"Thank you, papa," Elsa answered, smiling fondly at the Duke. She lightly kissed the old man's forehead, startling him. He smirked at her gently and affectionately. Rising, she left to go to the archives.

Frozen

Elsa drew out the last of the books she could find on the Southern Isles and placed them down. She looked apprehensively at them. None of the titles were promising. 'The Cursed Royals', 'The Iron-Fisted King', 'Born of Hell: The Princes of the Southern Isles', 'Terror in the Night', 'The King's Heir: Of the Deeds of Caleb', and the title that stood out most? 'The Wicked Prince'. She almost dreaded to open that one, because in her heart she knew who it was…

She closed her eyes. She was afraid, she noted… Afraid of what she would find. She knew the history of the Isles was bloody. She knew the princes had been wicked and cold. She knew that their deeds in the past were so great and so despicable that they didn't even want to talk about it and could say very certainly to her that she never wanted to know. They would tell her that the things they had done in their pasts had been worse than she could imagine, and she could imagine quite a lot. She had never known the details… She wished, now, she had gotten it from them instead of having to read it in a book like this. Books weren't always accurate, right? But given the natures of the young princes, were _they_ any more believable? As far as she could tell they had never lied to her. Until recently. Of course, maybe the fact they'd never lied to her had been the biggest lie of all. She breathed out gently and opened the first book, looking inside. Almost immediately she regretted it.

For some time she poured over the volumes, and with each story that passed her horror grew more and more, her eyes opened wider and wider. Slaughter, murder, genocide, mass executions, brutal torture, war, and mercilessness. The razing of villages, the misery and terror brought by the soldiers at their beck and call, the fear the people lived in, the old King's enforcers: Jürgen, Rudi, Runo, Franz, and on occasion Justic. Caleb's being his father's malleable puppet without protest, Lars's ability to look into the eyes of whoever it was he was torturing and seem utterly and totally unmoved. All that they were capable of, all that they'd done. The slaughters, the attacks, the beatings, the public displays of humiliation, the making an example of those who disappointed the old king, whippings or executions or tarring and feathering among others… And Hans…? She turned to the last book and an uneasy tingle ran up her spine. She didn't want to know… After a moment she reached out, taking the final book and staring at the cover numbly. Finally, she laid it down and opened it up.

 _Very little is known about the youngest princes of the Southern Isles. For many years, they stayed the unknowns. They brought no fear or terror and so most forgot they existed… Until one day they began to emerge one by one by one, and unease began to sweep over the land. When finally the youngest crept from the darkness, there was abject terror. Let this now be an accounting of his deeds. And may he never learn of the existence of this book, or I dread to think of what could befall me and my family._

She stopped reading, looking at the cover of the book to find the name of the author. It seemed familiar. Wait… A chill shot down her spine. It had been on a list of names of those who had disappeared without a trace at the hands of the royals. Him and the names of his entire family. She caught her breath, covering her mouth. Oh no… For a long time, she didn't move. Finally, though, she willed herself to pick up the book once more and read it.

Reaper of lives. Terror in the night. Messenger of death. Those were only some of the titles the book used that she could now add to the list of titles her fiancé held. Showed no mercy. Wore the masks of innocence and good intention.

 _One could almost believe he understood them and sympathized. One would dare to feel safe enough to let their guard down. Make no mistake, though. If they did, it would be the_ _ **last**_ _thing they did._

Her heart ached as she read the passage. She knew the truth in it. He had done it to Anna… To _her_ …

 _I remember the fires burning as I watched in secret the house of my sister and her family burning to the ground. I could hear the scream of my brother-in-law when the sword entered his body. I watched my sister attempt to flee and I saw his soldiers go after her without needing an order. He knew what they did to the women they caught. I know he knew. He listened to her shrieks of agony and pleas for a savior. How badly I wanted to race out and rescue her from them, but it would have meant my death. I watched him turn his horse and ride away knowing they would follow once they'd had their fill. After all, if they didn't, they could expect a very sudden death too._

Elsa gasped back a sob she suddenly felt herself near to letting out and held her head in her hands. Oh god, oh god… She sniffed, looking at the book again despite not wanting to.

 _I remember the orphanage burning. The children shrieking inside. Three of the princes stood near at hand and they watched. I believe to this day those children and infants died because of that Wicked Prince. Maybe even on his order. Some hero watched, though, because when the bodies of the dead were numbered, more than a third of them were missing. Too many to have not been found even a trace of, and so it stands to reason at least some were rescued. But the fact remains those little ones died because of the prince whose name I can barely bring myself to record again. Prince Hans Westergaard, Admiral of the seas._

She continued reading, but the words only seemed to blur.

 _He laughed…_

 _He made her believe he would help her…_

 _He held the child in his arms, the boy's little body quivering, and he rode away with him without a word…_

Those were only some of the phrases she had read that seared into her mind. And the paragraphs she had seen…

 _Perhaps it was the one good thing he'd ever done, or perhaps his motives were darker, but he killed the soldier who had put his hands on the young girl, and swept her off with him into the forest…_

 _The messenger sent from Avalor hadn't even time to speak in his own defense and try to explain before the one he had believed had his ear just as easily turned on him and cut him open. He collapsed in the streets and no one dared approach the hunter and his prey. The young prince paced around the man as he slowly bled out, then gathered up his body and brought it to his father king, who had the corpse sent back to Avalor's ruler as a warning never to try and heavy-hand them again…_

She could only make it half way through the book before she slammed it shut with a pained gasp, horrified and scared. She tried to tell herself that it was the influence of their father and of the mirror. She tried to tell herself that she knew for a fact not all those stories were accurate. For instance, the messenger from Avalor had been found out to be an assassin sent after the old king of the Southern Isles. Her father had told her so shortly after it had happened!

 _Argue and deny all you want, but in the end, you're only making excuses… Just excuses._

Body shaking with emotion, anger and hurt and sorrow and betrayal, she looked slowly up once more, staring numbly ahead. Her expression quickly became stoic and unmovable. The Ice Maiden had been right… At least in part. It almost made her ill to realize what she was thinking now; that she could face them at this point if she had to. She could face them and kill them. She was ready. Knowing all they'd done, all the atrocities committed by the royal family… She could fight them to death if she needed to.

 _You can indeed… Just as long as you don't hear_ _ **their**_ _sides of the stories…_

She grimaced, closing her eyes tight and holding her head in her hands. She willed away that thought desperately but couldn't shake it.

 _Will you judge them without hearing their own renditions? Judge them based on books?_

She sniffed, steeling herself. Yes. She would. She would because she had no choice. They wouldn't hear her. They wouldn't speak to her. Even if she begged them to tell her what had happened throughout all those years, begged them to explain to her their sides of the story, they wouldn't. Because they were in this to kill now. They were hunting her… She was nothing but their prey anymore. Quickly she turned, leaving the archives swiftly to go to her sleigh and return to the Southern Isles, and to the cavern she'd hidden away in, forgetting that the Duke had sent out spies to fetch information. In the cave she'd found, she would wait for them, and when they came after her? When they came after her, they would regret it…

Frozen

"Dear Duke," whispering voices said. The Duke shuddered, bringing his tea—it was an _excellent_ herb tea Elsa had told him about that she'd learned on the Southern Isles from a friend—away from his lips. He'd never get used to that sound. He put the drink down then drew the curtains, leaving only the candlelight. Slowly the shadows, four, began to materialize. Dryly he likened himself again to a ruler of shadows. It was an ugly and terrifying job, and he wasn't fond of it, but he supposed _someone_ had to do it. Why they couldn't just return to Pharabou, the caretaker and ruler of the shadow realm, he had no clue. Why did they need to walk on earth, dash it all?!

"I need information on the situation in the Southern Isles," the Duke said to the shadows.

"There is much to tell," one shadow said.

"What has driven them to isolate Arendelle?" the Duke asked.

The shadows began whispering amongst themselves before facing the Duke again. "The woman. The Ice Maiden. She has threatened them, blackmailed them, given them no choice but to obey; for she is powerful, good Duke, and for now they cannot stand. So she plays them like a puppeteer," a second said.

"But the Southern Isles have never made for malleable marionettes," the third remarked. "She entangles herself in a mesh that will end with her hanging in the strings of her puppets, though perhaps not in time to save the queen. Or yes? Time will tell. Time tells all."

"Elsa… Oh no," the Duke said. He immediately ran towards the archives, the shadows following. He threw open the door. "Elsa, don't go back to…" he began. He trailed off, catching his breath. She was gone! "Dash it all!" the Duke panicked. He had to get a message to Arendelle as quickly as he could!

"The Princes mobilize to hunt as we speak and make even now for Elsa's hideaway. The Ice Maiden watches and laughs in glee. She tolerates no rival, and the Snow Queen is a rival she cannot accept," the fourth darkly said.

"I get the picture!" the Duke shot, hurrying to collect a paper and quill.

Frozen

In horror, Anna read the letter that the Duke of Weselton had sent. What the heck was happening?! She gasped in alarm and raced from the throne room. "Princess Anna!" Kai called after her in surprise.

"I have to find Kristoff!" she called back to the butler.

"But Anna, you're supposed to be holding court!" Gerda argued.

"Elsa's life is in danger. Court can wait!" Anna called back, racing out of sight.

"Elsa? Oh no," Gerda worriedly said, holding Kai's arm tightly. He appeared grim and concerned.

"Kristoff? Kristoff!" Anna called, racing out of the palace and running for the field where Kristoff often brought Sven to graze.

"Anna?" Kristoff asked, turning confusedly. "Honey, what's wrong?" he worriedly asked, seeing her frantic dash. He raced to meet her, catching her in his arms.

"Kristoff, Elsa's in danger! The Duke of Weselton sent this letter and the Southern Isles are apparently our enemies now and something about Elsa being their target and there was an Ice Maiden and…" she began in a rush.

"Wait, what?" Kristoff cut off.

"Elsa's in…" Anna began.

"No, Anna, the last thing you said!" he said.

"There was an Ice…" Anna began confusedly. Her eyes lit up in realization as she remembered the talk she and Kristoff had had up in the mountains by the glacial crevasse. "Maiden…" she finished, stunned. Kristoff snatched the letter and began reading it through.

"Oh no… No, no, no. I have to get to the Isles and talk to the princes before it's too late and they do something we'll _all_ regret!" Kristoff said, shoving the letter back into his wife's hands and swinging up onto Sven's back.

"What? Kristoff, where are you going?!" Anna demanded.

"I'm sailing for the Isles immediately. With the next ship that leaves. I can help them, I know I can!" he said. At least, he _hoped_ he could. He knew that witch had a vendetta against him, but maybe that meant he was more equipped to deal with her?

"Kristoff, no! Not without me," Anna pled.

"Stay here, Anna. Arendelle needs you. I'll come back, I promise, with your sister alive and well and the Southern Isles back in our good books," Kristoff vowed.

"I'm not letting you leave without me!" Anna insisted. "Kristoff, I can't lose you! I…" She was cut off when suddenly he leaned down, taking her lips with his. She started then felt her mouth fearfully quivering. She swallowed as he drew back, closing her eyes.

"Don't be afraid, Feisty Pants. I'll come home," he said to her. She looked up at him. He winked at her then galloped away. She was left staring after him and torn between following regardless or staying and tending her duties. Gods, was this how Elsa felt when she faced decisions between her kingdom and personal feelings? Anna despised this anguish and guilt she felt. She wanted so badly to go after her husband… But that wasn't what a practical ruler would do, and gosh darn it, she was going to be a Princess worthy of being called Princess! …But she wished so badly that she could just follow her heart instead, like she usually did… Oh she'd never be _half_ the ruler Elsa was if she followed strictly her heart, though. She cursed the inner conflict again and looked after her husband.

 _Be safe, Kristoff… Please…_

Frozen

Moren listened, pale, as Hans made his request. Though to call it a request would be generous. The rest of the brothers were every bit as stunned and shocked. Were they really hearing this from _Hans's_ mouth? Once upon a time, not so very long ago, they would have expected no less, but now? "Have you lost your mind?!" Iscawin finally found his voice to demand. "What is this, some-some _honor_ killing?! She's gone! Leave her alone! Hans, you of all people… How could you even _ask_ this?!"

"I'm not asking, Iscawin," Hans answered, ignoring everything else that had been said.

"Why are you demanding this?!" Kelin-Sel shot for Iscawin.

Hans was quiet. He didn't know… "Answer, Moren," he said to the King, tuning out Kelin-Sel.

"What's wrong with you?" Franz suddenly questioned. Hans gave him a look, but the way his older brother had asked that question… It wasn't demeaning or angry. It was scared… He truly wanted to know. "What's happened to you?" he rephrased in a whisper.

 _He saw no man in his brother's eyes…_

The mirror? Please no. Anything but that. "I await the answer of the king. Not you, not Kelin-Sel, not Iscawin, not any of you. Only Caleb," Hans replied.

"You don't want this, Hans. You don't want this," Moren whispered, damning the tears threatening his eyes. Hans had been right… When he had awakened, there had been no good left. Oh please let him be wrong.

"Yes. I do," the youngest brother answered.

 _No, I don't. Fight for yourself, dammit… I was so close… Now I'll just give it all up?_

"This is a battle between me and her," Hans added firmly. "I won't accept a refusal. Whatever it takes to bring this about, I will do it. Don't test me, brother."

"You don't want this!" Moren shouted.

 _You are too late to save him. You always knew you were. Why are you trying?_

 _Because he's my brother!_

"Try me!" Hans shouted back in equal fury. "It isn't the Ice Maiden alone with the power to slaughter your families and fiancés!" Instantly those who _had_ families left, or were engaged, shot to their feet in shock and alarm, going white. Moren stared at his brother in numb horror.

 _This wasn't happening…_

But this _was_ happening, and there was no backing out now. If they did, they lost not only their brother, gone already, but everything else too. And not at the Ice Maiden's hands either, but at _Hans's_. Caleb hung his head, drawing in a shaky breath as he took the situation in. There was still hope. In Elsa. If they went then maybe, just maybe, when she and Hans met on the battlefield she would bring him back again! Or… or had _she_ given up on him too…? He didn't believe anyone would blame her if she had, but it was the best chance Hans had anymore. And if she didn't bother? Well then his brother was doomed either way, just… just death would be more a mercy to him than life…

"Prepare for the hunt," Caleb finally said, raising his head. Immediately all the rest of them protested. Hans smirked darkly in satisfaction then turned to go into the tent his brothers had pitched for him, leaving Caleb to try and soothe the mob. How he had managed, Hans would never know.

 _By reasoning to them that it is_ _ **my** __best chance…_

Almost subconsciously, Hans's hand went to the pendant around his neck and clutched it tightly as he drew a breath.

Frozen

"What are we looking for again?" Olaf asked.

"I don't know. Something that might help explain what happened with the princes and the Ice Maiden. They wouldn't do this to us. Not to me and Elsa. Not for anything! If this Ice Maiden can so easily warp them…" Anna began. She trailed off. The rest went unsaid.

"Or maybe they all really _are_ just as scummy as their baby brother," Olaf stated.

"No one's as scummy as Hans," Anna deadpanned.

"Whoa, Anna, I was kidding. I would never be that mean!" Olaf protested, vaguely surprised at his friend's response. He personally actually kind of _liked_ Hans. He liked Franz to. Franz was his buddy and had treated him nice. He was funny too. "Remember, Hans saved your life during the whole suitor thing."

"I know. It's just hard to let go of the past," she said with a sigh.

"Yeah, I guess," Olaf replied. He had no clue, he'd never actually held a serious grudge, but from what he'd observed he could see how it would be hard to let go. _That_ kind of backstabbing? It wasn't something you forgot easily. "We're not going to find anything in the library. Check documents from the Isles. Reports. Did your parents have spies there?"

"I have no idea. Elsa knows all this," Anna replied. "I should have paid more attention, darn it!" She wasn't making _that_ mistake again. She shoved a bunch of papers to the side and paused. "What's this?" she asked, picking it up. _That_ was lucky. This might _be_ something. Olaf looked curiously over and approached to read over her shoulder. "This paper is so old it has my _father's_ signature," Anna said. Hmm, maybe they should have gone through dad and mom's things earlier.

"What's it saying?" Olaf asked.

Anna scanned it. "It's a letter to…" she began, glancing over it. She started, eyes widening. "Kristoff's uncle?!" she exclaimed.

"Whoa," Olaf said.

"It looks like it's in response to some letter the guy sent. Dad must have died before he got a chance to send this. Doesn't look like it would have been much help anyway. It's just saying he can't find any information on the entity the man asked him to look into," she said.

"What entity?" Kristoff asked.

Anna squinted. "The… The Ice Maiden? Again?" she said. That entity kept showing up and it was making her more and more worried for her husband. "Why would Kristoff's uncle send _father_ this?"

"Maybe he heard of Elsa's powers and thought _she_ was the Ice Maiden?" Olaf asked. "He might have been trying to protect his nephew."

"I'm not sure. Maybe. Elsa isn't the Ice Maiden, though. The Ice Maiden was in adult form when Kristoff was small. Elsa and Kristoff are the same age. Either way, this only leads to a dead end," Anna said. "It gets us nowhere! It's no help at all, and for all I know… for all I know I'll never see my sister or husband again."

"It's okay, Anna. It'll be okay. They'll make it, I know they will," Olaf soothed, going over to her and snuggling her reassuringly. She sniffed, hugging him gently back. She hoped he was right. She looked at the letter again then tensed. Olaf looked curiously at her. "Anna?" he asked.

Anna blinked at it then picked it up, reading it. "Who are the sunbeams?" she questioned.

"Oh that's easy! They're nature spirits," Olaf replied. "Why?"

"Because they might be the key to saving our family and the Westergaards!" Anna exclaimed, rereading the letter. "Olaf, come on! We have to find them and send them after Kristoff. They can protect him! They're the sun verses the Ice Maiden's snow."

"They won't be hard to find. Just go up to the roof and call to them. The sunbeams are really dancing today. Maybe they'll hear!" Olaf said.

"Alright," Anna agreed. In record time she was up on the roof, and all around her danced maidens of light singing to her reassurances and promises she had no choice but to trust.


	18. Chameleon Prince

Chameleon Prince

(A/N: This chapter I'm not too happy with. Edited it over and over and still wasn't happy with it. Kind of wrote it a while ago. Half of it, at least. Said half of it was meant to actually be in the first story before I cut it in favor of building things more slowly, so at some points it might seem to not make sense. Or I'm just being paranoid. There'll probably be a bit of confusion, maybe but not certain. At first I tried to edit it out, and I may have succeeded better than I think I did, but I figured leaving some confusion might give it a more authentic feel. Given the high emotional states of the characters, and all that's happening, this chapter coming across as confusing could help trap the feelings they're all going through; how nothing is making sense to them and they can't fully comprehend all that's happened. I guess I'll see. Still wish I could have edited it to my satisfaction, but I've tried a lot of different approaches and this was about the best one I had.)

The tracking of Elsa would take days, the princes knew. She had left a blizzard in her wake, which slowed them down greatly. It forced them to trudge through what was sometimes waist deep snow. Hans gazed ahead. He felt the Ice Maiden rage at their slowness, but he was more inclined to laugh than to be alarmed by her. The blizzard was so intense, at one point, that they had dodged into cover and tied themselves together just in case before setting off again. Each hour that passed, each night, they watched their youngest brother grow more and more distant… But not in hatred. In anguish and guilt. Sometimes rage overwhelmed it and hate, but it wasn't hate towards them. It wasn't hate towards the woman they pursued. Self-hatred, they suspected. All of them knew it well enough. They couldn't honestly claim Hans was the only one feeling it, least of all Moren. This was all his fault, the king believed…

 _If you had hated your brothers, she would not have been able to control you…_

It was too late for regret now, though. There was no going back. "Only bad happens to him when he closes off his heart," Justic remarked as they watched Hans go off somewhere alone during a break in the blizzard. Again. "Why does he do this to himself? Why won't he fight?"

"He does this to himself because it's easier to hate than it is to love. Less painful… Far less painful…" Mael answered. "He doesn't fight because… because he feels he has nothing to fight _for_."

"I wish that _we_ could be what he fights for," Kelin-Sel quietly said.

"We threw that chance away long ago. It will never come back," Rhun said. "It's our fault… It's always been our fault…"

"No. _He_ isn't blameless either. None of us are," Calcas said, staring into the fire. "The thing with him is he looks back. You never look back…"

"Why?" Iscawin asked.

Calcas looked up. "Because if you do, if _any_ of us do and remember all that we were and all that we did to our people and one another, I don't think _we'd_ be on much better ground than _Hans_ is right now. Have any of us truly looked back?" he finally replied.

"Not by choice," Caleb answered. They glanced at him worriedly, not liking the tone. Caleb shook his head, closing his eyes. "Don't look back… Never look back… They say that to forget the past is to repeat it… They're wrong… At least in this regard."

"He's coming back," Connyn said, noticing Hans.

"He always looks back on the past," Calcas said, noticing the blank expression in Hans's eyes. As if he were just some shell…

"I don't believe he ever let it go," Caleb answered. "Only tried to hide… But he can't…"

"The shards," Coth deduced, not turning from the fire. He damned the fact Lars didn't have the power to remove them from their brother himself.

"Yes," Moren confirmed.

"How many more days?" Hans questioned, reaching them.

"There aren't many more places to hide well, out this direction. Maybe two or three, if the weather doesn't hold. One or two if it does," Jürgen answered. He was good at reading the weather. Hans nodded. "What will you do, Hans? What's your plan in this?" the pirate king questioned. Hans was quiet. He had no answer. Part of him said kill her… The other part said beg her to kill _him_ …

"You love her, brother. Despite all you say, you love her still. Don't do this," Moren remarked. Hans was quiet. Soon he sat down by the fire and stared into it. No one would get anything more from him tonight…

"Let's get drunk," Franz suggested, not expecting an affirmative. To his shock, none of his brothers disagreed. Not that he was complaining.

 _Three Days to Objective_

It turned out their guess that they'd get nothing further from their sibling that night wasn't entirely right. Alcohol loosened lips and killed judgement. It wasn't too long before the only ones not acting like cackling maniacs were Kelin-Sel, Lars, Moren, and Iscawin… Hans was drunk, but not off the alcohol, Kelin-Sel suspected. It was something far worse and far more torturous causing the youngest one to be 'drunk'.

The taunting was a way to try and convince themselves, as much as they could, that they would be able to kill her. It wasn't like they'd meant anything they'd said, and even if they had, she wasn't around to hear it. They could be as cruel as they liked if it helped them prepare themselves for the pending execution! "What desperate fool among men would marry the pathetic, disgusting, wicked monster sorceress of Arendelle?!" they said. They because the brothers weren't entirely certain which of them had spoken those words first, not even the sober ones. Caleb, though, suspected with a sinking heart that it had been Hans. Regardless of who it had been, they were now all laughing their fool heads off about it, say for the sobers… And Hans laughed cruellest of all… But all at once he rose so quickly and fell so suddenly silent that the rest followed suite in surprise, dead silence falling over them all.

"I would… That's what's truly pathetic and disgusting," Hans finally said in a hollow tone. The others were quiet. "I would have married her in less than a heartbeat were she the poorest maiden in all the world…" No one spoke. He shook his head then turned, walking away quickly. Coth rose, wavering slightly, and started after him. Before he'd even left the general vicinity of the others, however, he saw Hans sit down by the river. The triplet shifted. He wanted to go to his brother, but what even could he have said? He had no words to offer. Not even sober would he have had them. He saw Hans clutching something tightly in his hand and felt his stomach twist uncomfortably. The pendant she had given his brother… Now was definitely _not_ a good time to go to him. Silently, Coth returned to the rest. Franz was opening more alcohol. Gods knew they wanted it again.

"Drunk off hate, high off love. A miserable combination, I should think," Franz grumbled in obvious reference to Hans and Elsa, shakily pouring out the last bit of the mead into his own cup. He downed it without even hesitation. The others followed suite.

 _Two Days to Objective_

It took them all morning to get over the hangovers well enough to continue. Sober ones, and Hans—whose inebriation had been of another kind—obviously not included. Runo eyed his baby brother silently. Hans was scribbling something in his journal. After a moment, Duach shifted and approached him. "You going to read that to me or am I going to take it from you?" Runo challenged. Wow. That sounded more bullying than he'd intended it to. Old habits, he guessed.

Hans gave him an icy look then turned back to the journal. After a moment, he read the entry out loud. Duach was silent as he listened. "Well? No taunting?" Hans all but sneered when Runo did absolutely nothing for upwards of a minute.

Duach finally met his eyes again. "Who was it about?" the twin soon asked. As if he even needed to ask.

Hans was quiet. "Someone I lost a long time ago," he finally answered.

"I've never heard of any affair you've ever had," Runo said, playing dumb.

"You wouldn't have," Hans replied, but he offered no more. Not that he needed to. Elsa. Goodness knew no woman had ever caught Hans's eyes before. He wasn't sure he _wanted_ to understand what Hans meant by losing her long ago.

 _One Day to Objective_

They were closing in on her, they knew. There were only about a dozen places out here to hide in at this point. Hans had been eerily silent all day. He hadn't spoken a word, looking ahead instead as if wholly focused on their tracking of the queen... But you could see in his countenance that he was being plagued with god only knew what thoughts. "I can't be forgiven," Hans suddenly said to Kelin-Sel and Jürgen, both of whom were travelling next to him.

Kelin-Sel glanced over, vaguely surprised his brother had finally decided to talk. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"It's none of your business," Hans answered.

"Then you wouldn't have spoken out loud," Kelin-Sel argued.

Hans sighed through the nose, closing his eyes. "For something I can never forgive _myself_ for… And yet don't regret even for one minute… I feel no remorse for what I did, none at all. None because it brought the thirteen of us closer," he soon answered.

The initial attempted takeover of Arendelle, they knew. "There _is_ regret in you though. I see it," Kelin-Sel murmured gently.

"More regret than you will ever know. Regret because it led to this... And I lost her… I never even knew I truly _wanted_ her…" Hans said.

 _She will not forgive again… Even if you backed out now, she would not forgive again. Who would, really?_

"Was it worth it?" Meilic suddenly questioned. "This second betrayal, losing _her_. Was it worth it?" Hans was quiet. Quiet for so long that the pirate king almost didn't think his brother had heard. "No," the youngest finally answered. "In every respect, no… Except for one… That it spared you anymore pain…"

The two were quiet. "We never wanted to be spared pain at the cost of losing _you_ ," Jürgen finally said.

"It's what brothers do," Hans dryly replied. "It's what brothers do… You haven't lost me yet…" He moved quickly ahead of them and they watched after him silently.

"But we will. And have," Kelin-Sel whispered, looking down and closing his eyes. Jürgen was silent, frowning. What about Hans's response seemed… off? Oh who was he kidding? Hans had been off for a while now.

 _But not like this. Something was off…_

He shook his head, puzzled. If that was the case, he wished he knew what.

 _Finality_

They gazed at the icy hideaway from a good distance away, silently observing it to try and see if Elsa had taken up any routines. So far, no luck. All they could do was lie there and make small talk until night, when they knew she'd be asleep. Or hoped she would. Killing a target while they were sleeping was so much easier. "Did you ever think about just settling down and letting anger go?" Moren suddenly questioned Hans. He half wondered if everything had been a lie from the start.

"I did. You know I did," Hans answered.

"Did you consider it for _yourself_ , or was it just something that you knew would have to happen if you married her?" Moren questioned.

Hans was quiet. "I considered it for myself..." he soon admitted. "I considered a life with her. One that wasn't a sham... I went a step beyond... I dared to envision a family. Children…" Hans murmured in response. If possible, Caleb felt even worse than he had to this point. His brother had been serious about it… "My beloved was so beautiful she shamed the light of the moon that shines off the lightly blowing snow. She was a spirit that came down to earth. Her skin was porcelain without blemish, her hair was spun of winter snows. Her eyes were a piercing blue, and her every move was ethereal as if she was not even of this world…" he murmured. Moren closed his eyes tightly, swallowing guiltily.

 _He'd loved her. Hans had truly loved her…_

"I remember most her tears… The tears she shed when I approached her on the fjords, sword in hand…" Hans murmured.

 _He remembered because maybe that was when the ice encasing his heart had started to melt…_

Caleb, miserably quiet, opened his mouth to say something, but just then they heard Iscawin whistle from somewhere near to the cave. A signal all was clear. Conversation would have to wait. Silently they all moved to the entrance. There was little room for talk now. They were walking in dangerous territory.

Frozen

Iscawin waited for Hans, who was taking up the rear, to enter first, before going in with him. "I'm sorry. For everything I've cost all of you. The pain I bring you all… It ends tonight," Hans murmured to his brother. Iscawin felt a cold chill race through his body as he sharply looked after his brother. His lips slowly parted in disbelief.

 _He believes he will die…_

"You aren't going anywhere, Hans," Iscawin said before he could think the response through.

"The monster dies tonight," Hans said. He would play his role of villain to the end. Maybe he wasn't even playing a role anymore anyway. He'd _always_ been the villain… Just for a while he'd tricked himself into believing otherwise… Determination renewed, he narrowed his eyes and set his heart on the task at hand.

Meanwhile...

"The princes are _where_?!" Kristoff demanded of a guard who was watching the gates of the palace. Fortunately, a guard who recognized him.

"You've come too late, Ice Harvester. They've gone in pursuit of the Snow Queen," the guard said.

"Oh no. No, no, no, they're walking right into something they can't handle!" Kristoff exclaimed. "I have to go after them."

"Sir, the princes can handle themselves," the guard assured.

"Not against her," Kristoff replied, mounting Sven again. "Which way?"

"I don't know. Towards the rocky crags across the mainland, perhaps? You'll have to track them of your own initiative. They started that way," the guard replied, pointing.

"They just can't make it easy, can they?" Kristoff asked with a groan before galloping in the direction he'd been pointed.

Frozen

Elsa watched them come towards her hideaway on horseback. Only them. No soldiers, no backup. Just the princes. They were fools to do so. It would be that much easier for her to take them on. If they wanted to fight to the death, she would fight to the death. She wouldn't relish in it, but she would, make no mistake… Part of her dared hope Moren had come to his senses and came desiring to speak to her... The way they attacked her ice golems inside the cave, then charged further in, showed her otherwise. She needed to prepare for the worst. She drew a shaky breath then opened her eyes. They had come seeking death… So they would find it…

"Spread out. Find her!" Hans ordered, looking keenly around the cavern. They broke off into pairs or groups of three and started off quickly, scouring the place. Iscawin followed Hans in silent misery. He couldn't watch her die, he determined. Hans would harm her over his dead body. And she would kill Hans over _his_ … He wasn't in a good position now, he wryly noted to himself. He looked at his little brother. Would he be able to do it, Iscawin wondered? Would Hans be able to kill her, or her him? No… He didn't think he would…

"You can back out. You can stop this," Iscawin said to his baby brother. Hans paused and looked at him. He saw the flash of vulnerability and fear. "Don't give in to yourself, to the shards, to anything… Don't give up. Please don't give up."

Hans looked away. "You have no right to beg me to do anything," he answered.

"I know. _God_ how well I know… But I don't plead for my sake," Iscawin said. "You're not lost. I know you're not. I almost wish you were still the mirror, because then you would look at yourself and you would see… The man is still there."

Hans paused, looking towards a wall covered in ice and seeing himself reflected in it. After a moment, he replied, "I've reflected so many masks now that I wouldn't be able to tell if it was the real me or just a lie anyway." Iscawin felt his heart sink as hope began to fade.

Suddenly they heard an alarmed cry and the blow of a whistle. Sharply they turned towards the sound. "They've found her!" Iscawin exclaimed.

"No. _She_ found _them_!" Hans replied, immediately racing towards the sounds. Iscawin followed quickly. The words 'she found them' had no right to terrify him as much as they did, he decided. He hated feeling like the one being hunted.

Frozen

The brothers who hadn't come across Elsa yet met in a large chamber at the base of a pathway that led higher up into the cavern. They ran up without a pause. Who had blown the whistle? A quick headcount showed that it had been Kelin-Sel and Jürgen. Well, no two better to have found her, they supposed. They were among the top three in the swordsman category. Elsa would be having a bad time, that was for sure… Unless she'd purposely gone after them first because she'd wanted to neutralize the biggest threats. If she had, then there was a plan in place and this might be very bad.

The ran into another large chamber and saw Kelin-Sel and Jürgen closing the distance between them and her, but she was entirely too calm for that to mean anything good. The two pursuing her didn't see because they were focused on, you know, staying alive. It was apparent very quickly her 'mercy' policy had gone out the window. She was fighting to kill because she knew they were too. Immediately the rest of the brothers raced after her. She looked up and saw them, sent forth an icy blizzard, then turned and raced towards what looked to be an exit out of the cave. One of probably many. As quickly as they could manage, they followed her. Out there she was cornered. There was nothing but a sheer drop that side of the cliffs. She was theirs.

The princes burst outside and surrounded her on all sides. She was scowling and hunched over in preparation for attack, eying them like a trapped animal. The first one who approached was getting an ice spike through the gut, she determined. "Give up, Elsa. It's over," Moren said calmly as they all searched for an opening. She wouldn't strike first, they sensed. Not unless she felt there was no other choice, at least.

"I don't think so. You arrest me without cause, you sentence me to whippings, beatings, and death, you betray me, you pursue me into the cliffs, and you try to hunt me down in my own hideaway? No. No more playing nice. Leave or die. _That's_ your choice now. I tried being nice, I tried to reason, but there's no reasoning with the princes of the Southern Isles. I see that now," she said.

"Did you ever think there might be a reason for that?" Moren asked.

She shook her head. "I tried to hear your story, to learn the reasons for all of this from you, but you wouldn't have it. Now I wouldn't hear you even if you begged me to. Come at me. I'm waiting," she said, the wind picking angrily up around her as snow swirled, reflecting her displeasure.

The brothers stared at her quietly and exchanged looks. Suddenly, all as one, they lunged at her, she waved her hand and the ledge they were all on cracked. They slid to a stop, gasping and looking back. Elsa conjured a platform under her and used it to leverage herself over their heads. She leapt for safety and the moment she landed, waved her hand again. The crack deepened and the ledge began to break away from the cliff. With alarmed shouts, the princes immediately tried to run for safety. She made the ground beneath them ice so that they couldn't stand or scramble up to solid ground, then walked casually back into the cave without looking back. To look back would be to see them fall, to realize she had killed them, and to feel regret. She couldn't afford any of those emotions right now. She ran from that area so she wouldn't have to hear their screams…

Frozen

"S**t! That crazy woman is actually going through with this!" Franz panicked, making a leap for the safe part of the ledge only to slip right back down. Quickly Mael morphed himself into a clawed beast and dug said dark claws into the ground. He looked pointedly at the others and swiftly ushered the six youngest onto his back. As soon as they were on, he quickly climbed up the slippery edge towards safety. They realized what he was doing and made a leap for it before he got to the top, grabbing on and scrambling up as the ledge groaned and started to fall. Mael extended the tail of the creature he'd become, which was no mortal beast, down to the rest. Franz, Justic, Rudi, and Runo were the only ones close enough to grab on. They seized it and climbed quickly up their sibling. They had to make a leap for safety and be caught by the others at that point. There was no way for Moren or Jürgen to make it. Not with this method. The ledge gave a final groan and snapped off, plummeting down. The other ones cried out for their brothers, reaching to them in vain. Mael swiftly transformed into a dragon and took off flying, bee-lining for Jürgen and Moren and seizing them both just before the ledge crashed down into the ground far below. Quickly he flew them back up to the others.

"Why couldn't you have flipping done that to start?!" Jürgen, near panic, freaked as he looked down at their near demise.

"Because I don't like dragons or their forms," Lars answered, landing and turning human again. The dragon form took a lot out of him besides.

"You fu…" Jürgen began, looking ready to beat up his little brother like when they were kids.

"Where's Icawin and Hans?" Franz suddenly demanded. The others perked up, looking around.

"They must have gone after her!" Kelin-Sel exclaimed. "Those idiots! We've got to hurry. They won't stand a chance against Elsa alone!" Quickly he raced back inside, the others on his heels.

"Maybe she'll reason? She knows he conquered the monster before! Maybe she'll see in him the potential to do it again!" Coth desperately said. "Elsa is…"

"Elsa is what, Coth? Forget it!" Franz said with a scoff. "The way we've been around her, you really think she's willing to try and judge Hans on what his heart _might_ still be? She tried that and it backfired on her! Now he's back as the monster with a vengeance, and what? You think she sees something good in him yet again? You think she'll be willing to? No! She's given him more chances than he, or we, ever even deserved in the first place. We brought this on ourselves and so did Hans. Now she sees only the monster everyone, including himself, made him into, not the conqueror." Coth was quiet, feeling suddenly ill. What if Franz was right…? He didn't even want to think about that.

Frozen

The moment they had seen Mael transform into a dragon, they'd known their brothers would be alright. Iscawin had turned without even a word, racing into the castle. He hadn't intended for anyone to see him. No one would have, if Hans hadn't happened to catch a glimpse of movement out his peripherals. Guessing immediately what Iscawin was doing, he raced after his brother. No way was Iscawin facing Elsa alone. Alone he was as good as dead! Of course, with only two were they much better off anyway? They'd soon see, Hans supposed.

Iscawin looked back and noticed Hans. Inwardly he cursed, sliding to a stop to confront the other. "Go back, Hans! Somehow I doubt she's going to be willing to _talk_ with you let alone reason," he shot.

"She isn't going to reason, Iscawin! She feels like a trapped animal. When you have nothing to lose, you're kind of beyond the point of reason!" Hans retorted, stopping as well.

"If I approach her unarmed…" Iscawin uneasily began, trying to deny the truth in his brother's words but sensing otherwise.

"Then you die!" Hans said.

"You don't know that!" Iscawin protested.

"You aren't going alone," Hans said.

"Then send someone she likes after me," Iscawin bit. He regretted it when he saw the flash of pain that crossed Hans's eyes before, as he always used to, he hid it away behind a mask. Mask, masks, masks! Iscawin damned those masks to hell! He was sick of them! Sick of watching them consume his sibling like this. "If she attacks when we approach unarmed, I'll accept she's beyond reason," Iscawin finished.

"This is a stupid idea," Hans hissed.

"Well too bad! It's happening," Iscawin replied, quickly hurrying on. Hans groaned, face-palming and shaking his head. With a sigh, he quickly followed his brother again.

 _Turn back. I don't want this. I don't want to hurt her anymore. I don't want to hurt anyone!_

 _And if this works out, I won't. She'll make sure of that. I won't be alive to hurt her or anyone ever again…_

A perfect victory… Victory over the Ice Maiden.

 _I will not give myself to her and she will have no more reason to hurt my brothers._

Victory over the masks and the mirror.

 _They will not consume me again._

Victory over the wicked troll and Mor'du.

 _I will not become their vassal._

Victory over Elsa.

 _…_ _She will be free of the monster that plagues her nightmares…_

Victory over everything.

 _No one else needs to die. Just me. They are here because of me. If I'm gone, they have no more obligation to any of this._

"What would you have given up for her, once upon a time?" Iscawin suddenly asked.

Hans turned to him, quietly summing him up. "My throne. My life. Everything… Everything except for you… You and our brothers," he answered. Iscawin started and sharply looked at him. Everything except for… ? _That_ didn't fit with the monster. Why would…? Wait…

 _You see the man in his eyes… The man is still there! But then that means… Oh god…_

"What are you doing?" Iscawin suddenly asked, a growing dread building in him as he slid to a stop, catching Hans's arm and forcing his sibling to stop running too.

 _He was never gone…_

Iscawin felt fear and a borderline panic threatening him. He was never gone! Or if he was, it wasn't for long. He… This was all part of some master plan, wasn't it? A plan he couldn't see the outcome for, or anyone. "What are you doing?!" Iscawin repeated, grabbing his brother's arms roughly and viciously shaking him.

 _When did your plan change? When did you start to fight again? From the start? Only just now, or over the last couple of days?_

Hans stared at him in silence. "As far as she's concerned, what died here today was a monster. Not a man," he said. "Never let her think it might, just _might_ , actually have been the man she killed," he answered. 'Might' because even now, even _now_ , he couldn't read himself or what he would yet do… Adapt. Always adapt. Suddenly he bolted passed a stunned Iscawin, shoving his brother roughly down.

 _Sucide mission. That doorknob is on a suicide mission!_

"Hans, wait, no!" Iscawin shouted frantically after his brother, tearing after him. "We can fix this! There's another way to gain victory over the Ice Maiden, but not like this! Please not like this! Hans! Hans, listen to me!" He damned and cursed his brother a million times over in his head. Why hadn't they seen it? Why hadn't they _guessed_?!

 _He wears the masks like he is their master. The Chameleon Prince. For all you know even this is a mask! What is truth anymore with him?!_

 _Trust your instinct. What do you feel is truth? You know your brother._

"But I don't know the answer to _this_ ," Iscawin whispered out loud, trying to catch his sibling. He doubted, somehow, that even Hans truly did.

Frozen

Elsa stood in the lowest levels of the cave pacing. Whether the princes were alive or dead, she didn't know… But she'd soon learn. If they were alive, they were searching for her. They would find her. Then what?

 _Then they will doom themselves… You know that it's kill or be killed now._

She closed her eyes, swallowing, but quickly steeled herself. Whatever it took… Whatever it took… They would _not_ get away with this.

 _But you don't want to hurt them… But you **have** to…_

She heard running. Someone was coming! No words, just action. She spun as the doorway of ice that she'd formed was thrown open, and sent an ice spear careening towards whoever was unlucky enough to be there. She gasped on seeing. Hans! Hans drew his sword and swung it in one fluid motion, cutting the ice spear in half just in time. He looked like even _he_ couldn't believe he'd actually done that. Frankly, _she_ could hardly believe he'd done it either. She looked at him, pale and hurt. He met her eyes and they were frozen, just staring at one another. "Tell Caleb to stop," she said to him finally. "Hans, please."

Hans was quiet. "Caleb? Oh Elsa, he wasn't the one behind this," the prince replied, shaking his head. A dark smirk crossed his lips. " _I_ was."

She felt her heart drop into an abyss as she stepped back, tears pricking her eyes. "What?" she whispered.

"I caused this," he said, stepping towards her.

Elsa shook her head in denial. "Traitor!" she finally found her voice enough to say. "If you want me then come after me, coward! Don't fall back on your brothers!"

"There's cowardice and then there's common sense. Run, Snow Queen. Run as fast and far as you can," he darkly warned. Raising a whistle to his lips he blew on it loudly. It was echoed by twelve others. A signal, she knew. She could hear. They were regrouping for a hunt!

She shook her head in response to him. "No. I won't run. Not anymore… It was _you_ who helped me to stop running…" she stated. He started, taken aback. She seized the opportunity, immediately sending another icy spear at him. He wouldn't be so lucky with his sword _this_ time.

Frozen

Hans didn't have time to react, but suddenly he was tackled to the ground, the spear sailing just barely overhead. Damn, Iscawin had impeccable timing, Hans noted. He gave a surprised cry as his brother suddenly dragged him up and started running. He also realized, around the same time, that Elsa was still attacking and that he should probably get his head in the game so his brother wasn't carrying his sorry backside. Quickly he recovered and suddenly pulled Iscawin back and behind an rock formation as a siege of ice arrows shot through the room and embedded themselves in it.

"Did you really think I was going to let you do this to yourself?" Iscawin demand of Hans as they sheltered.

"Stay out of this, brother," Hans replied. "It's too far along now to back out of it."

 _"_ _What if she dies…?"_

That voice wasn't his inner voice, Hans knew immediately. Vertigo, he deduced soon after. He'd almost forgotten the favor he'd done the miserable wretch. Well, what _would_ become a favor.

 _No. No one else will die. And even if she does, that isn't my concern anymore._

 _"_ _But you want her to live."_

Hans shook his head at the confusion in the nature spirit's voice. He couldn't blame it. Not even _he_ knew what he wanted anymore. The prince closed his eyes, swallowing. So many inner arguments and battles, so many murmurings. Which inner voice was the monster's anymore? Perhaps all of them were both monster and man. Maybe there had never truly been a difference. Maybe he was just that evil. Or just that good? Or just both?

 _You are a mix of all your masks, chameleon, and there is not one alone that can ever define you._

Both monster and man. Was all he did just him putting exaggerated emphasis on which kind of person he chose to be at any given time? He didn't know. He hated not knowing. "I won't watch you do this!" he heard Iscawin shout. Strange how it sounded so muffled.

 _"_ _You idiot, your brother is facing her! Snap out of it!"_

Wait, what? His brother wasn't talking to…? Hans's eyes flew open and he gasped, looking out from behind the pillar. His eyes widened in fear. His sibling was confronting Elsa!

"Iscawin, no!" Hans cried out in terror. This wasn't supposed to happen! No! How long had they been speaking?! Long enough, apparently, because the next words he heard?

"Then you die," Elsa answered. Blindingly fast, she sent out a surge of icy shards. Small ones but sharp and long and strong. Iscawin didn't even have time to react before they entered his body. His heart. He staggered back a couple steps with a cry and gasp, then looked up at her slowly. What had happened? Wait… He felt himself freezing. He had his answer. He swallowed as he watched her. She was suddenly so pale. Like she couldn't believe what she'd just done. He grimaced in pain, clutching his heart. With a gasp, he collapsed to the ground.

"Iscawin!" he heard Hans cry out. Iscawin swallowed, closing his eyes. He wished that Hans hadn't had to see. Damn he was freezing fast. Much faster than Anna had, but that was perhaps because he'd been struck with more than one of the ice shards. What did it matter anyway? He opened his eyes, seeing his brother racing towards him.

"Y-you need to run," Iscawin said to his brother as Hans fell at his side, rolling him onto his back and taking his hand looking pale. Shaken. Shocked.

"No… No, no, don't…" Hans began. He trailed off. Was there even a point in begging him not to do this, not to go? In begging him to fight? Even as he spoke his brother's hand became solid ice in his own. Now the neck, now the nose and mouth and eyes, now the head, and that… that was it…

Frozen

Hans knelt at his fallen sibling's side stunned, holding the ice hand numbly and gazing down at the form. Here it would remain forever, and those who ever after chanced to come upon it would say how very beautiful it was and wonder about whom it was crafted after. All the while he was there. They would gaze into his eyes and they would never know. He would be a memory, lost for eternity… There were no tears on Hans's part… He _wanted_ there to be…

"Look at you now, Hans. Where is your protection now? Where's your safety net? Where's your backup? You've failed. Now you're at my mercy," she said. Elsa. He was silent, still gazing down into the eyes of his sibling. Elsa frowned, suspicious as to his silence. "Speak!" she commanded sharply, snow whipping around her.

"You've won," he said. There was no hint of surprise in his tone. There was no hint of anything. It was hollow. She had expected begging. She expected him to throw himself at her feet and plead for her mercy. "You must be so proud of yourself," he hissed, closing his eyes tightly and clenching both teeth and fists. Elsa frowned, eyes glittering, and looked uneasily at the frozen young man. A pang of regret briefly presented itself. This she quickly forced away. "Allow me to spare you the trouble of killing me," the prince suddenly said, drawing his sword from its sheath and gazing at it.

She sharply laughed. "Who do you think you're kidding, Prince of the Southern Isles? You love yourself too much for that," she said.

He was silent. A sudden thought. Maybe she was right… The burning sensation in his eyes… It was so foreign, and no matter how he tried it couldn't get beyond that. No tears. No pain. He just felt… felt numb… He closed his eyes and put away the sword, taking his brother's icy hand tightly in his own again and looking down at him. "Finish it," he said to her.

"You won't get off so easily," she replied.

His eyes flashed angrily as a stab of pain and rage shot through him. "Easily? _Easily_?! You think this is getting off easily?!" he freaked, shooting to his feet and turning on her, eyes glittering. In them was the glaze of unshed tears. Tears that probably would never come. She was actually taken aback. "Iscawin! Is! Gone! My brother is _dead_!" Or if he wasn't, he might as well be.

"And you deserted Anna to die," she hissed.

"Anna came back!" he snapped. More snarled, really.

"She was _all_ I had! You have eleven more!" Elsa shouted.

To her surprise, and his own, he began to laugh. Not happily, not mockingly, just uncontrollably. Perhaps it was hysterics, perhaps anger, or maybe a mixture of both. "She _is_ all you have! She is still _there_!" Hans all but screamed. "She is still there!"

"You…" she began.

"Have eleven more? What does it matter if I have eighty? He was still my brother and he is still gone! You think because I have eleven more this should hurt any less than if he were my only sibling? Oh gods!" Hans exclaimed, sobbing and covering his mouth, shaking his head in denial. This was his fault. This was all his fault! She was silent, not daring to try and argue anymore. Hans began laughing again. He wanted to hurt her. Oh how badly he wanted to hurt her. To make her squirm. Suffer. Regret… So he would… He sniffed and faced her coldly. "You may have won the war, Elsa, but _I_ will win one more battle, at least. You know what I find the funniest in all of this? Of all the brothers you could have killed, you killed the one who _truly_ loved you!" Hans declared. "He _loved_ you! There was nothing he wasn't willing to give up or lose for you!" He began to cruelly laugh. Or was it some oxymoronic grieved laugh? He wasn't even sure anymore. "He would have given his throne, life, and everything for you! Everything, 'Queen' Elsa, everything! …Everything except for me…" His voice broke, then, and he fell to his knees with a painful gasp, holding his arms around himself tightly. "Everything except for me…" He trailed off then sniffed, closing his eyes tightly and willing away the pain.

 _Not even the monster will withstand this grief, will it? But maybe the man can in turn…_

"And even when he betrayed us to protect you—he would have you know, in a heartbeat—he would not have given me up…" Hans finished so quietly it was almost a whisper.

Frozen

Elsa was pale and flustered. What? He-he lied. "You're lying. You're lying!" she screamed, emotions quickly taking hold of her again.

"I'm through with words," he answered. He'd said what he needed to. Let her languish away with the knowledge she had killed the one man who could ever have loved her… At least as far as _she_ knew or cared…

"No. No that can't be, it can't," Elsa said, shaken and holding her hair. She'd known Iscawin had had feelings for her, but _this_ strong and true...? No. No!

 _He would have betrayed even his own flesh and blood… For_ _ **you**_ _…?_

What had she done? Dammit, what had she done?! "It can't be!" she yelled, icicles flying everywhere. "You're lying, you're lying, you're lying!" Hans was silent. Elsa gasped and covered her ears, willing down her tumultuous feelings that were causing her to start to lose a grip on her powers. No, no, Hans had played this game with her before when he had told her Anna's death was her fault. He was playing that game now, trying to drive her to despair. It wouldn't work this time. Her eyes blazed and she scowled. "I am beyond _done_ with you," she said. Hans bitterly chuckled and pulled a paper from his pocket, looking at it.

"Fine. But take a look at this," he said, crumpling it and throwing it to her. She looked at the crumpled paper that rolled to her feet. She almost just froze it. She probably should have. Curiosity, though, drove her to pick it up, open it, and read. Her eyes filled with pain and realization as she went over the words written there. It was a diary entry. A diary entry written to and for _her_ …:

 _"_ _Almighty God, thee only have I; thou steerest my fate, I must give myself up to thee! Give me a livelihood! Give me a bride! My blood wants love, as my heart does!"_

 _How many times, now, have I written those words in the pages of some journal or other? And finally, it came to be… and then it was gone… I've destroyed that chance as I have every other good thing that has ever come to me. Will she show me mercy? Do I deserve it? No. I don't believe I do. Please… Please… Let her love me. Let her become mine. My heart desires nothing else any longer. My lady, if you grant me no other favor for as long as you live, then give me this, though I do not deserve it. Forgive me… Forgive me…_

Frozen

The paper fell numbly from her hands. He had loved her. Hans's brother had truly loved her. More than she could have begun to imagine. He had loved her and she… she had done this, she had killed-she had killed him… She gasped through tears she didn't know had been present, shaking her head in denial. This couldn't be happening. "I'm a monster…" she breathed in realization. She knew it was playing into Hans's hands, but he had been right. He had been right. She was a monster! She had fooled herself for so long, and yet here before her was proof of what lingered beneath.

"No. In this story, you don't have to be," Hans replied. She looked at him, surprised at his reply. She had suspected he would play off that moment of weakness, but instead this? "Bring him back. An act of true love. It will save him. Maybe just the warmth of your tears will save him, and if you can't… if you can't, then exchange lives. Exchange mine for his. You've only wanted me dead god knows how long." She swallowed tightly.

 _You're wrong, chameleon. You're wrong… I never wanted you dead…_

"Now you have your opportunity. Take it. Take my life in exchange for my brother's. You can win your happy ending to this saga, Queen Elsa. Congratulations. You've become the heroine in your tale, and the true monster dies, becoming a permanent decoration in your little getaway cave here. Don't make me the hero in this story. It's yours to write now."

"I don't know if I can," she said. She knew now that love melted the ice, but her having the power to exchange lives if an act of love didn't work? She didn't know…

"Well try it anyway!" Hans snapped. "I don't care if it kills him and me both, bring back my brother! If you're lucky, you might have a future with him… More of one than you ever could have had with me…"

Her emotions were going all over the place. She realized, suddenly, the blizzard swirling around them. She noticed, for the first time, the frost in Hans's hair. The frost _he_ probably didn't even notice. Right now, it was just her and him facing off in the middle of a raging blizzard that should have already killed him and would have if she had been lucky, but it seemed she wasn't. She suddenly raced for his brother. She couldn't stomach the sight of Hans anymore. It would make her all too happy to end his life in exchange for his sibling's.

 _You lie to yourself. So many lies…_

She knelt by Iscawin's body and began looking him over. Ice in the heart. She sensed it now. She swallowed and closed her eyes, trying to draw the shards out. She willed them to come.

 _Please, please come. Come out. I love you. Let the ice melt, please, let the ice melt! I love you…_

But did she, really?

 _No… Though you tried once…_

Frozen

Hans knelt next to her, watching.

 _Take me instead…_

It was going too slow!

 _Take me instead!_

He suddenly threw himself over his brother's icy form, holding him tightly. "Take me instead, dammit, take me!" he begged. Elsa gritted her teeth, focusing all her energy into her task. The angry shards shivered and suddenly exited the body of the frozen prince, piercing Hans and wedging deeply into his own heart. Hans let out a gasp, clutching his chest. He looked down numbly and saw the slivers disappearing into his body. His heart deepest of all. Funny… He hardly felt a change… Disturbing too. He'd never felt a change when the shard of the mirror had entered his body either… He felt so, so cold… What about Iscawin? He looked at his brother.

 _Wake up…_

Elsa caught her breath, covering her mouth as the shards pierced Hans. Hans hardly reacted beyond the gasp. Iscawin was already regaining color, already flickering his eyes, trying to open them. But her gaze was on the youngest prince in horror and fear. What had she done? Hans stood up straight and tall, watching his sibling and feeling such a sense of gratefulness and relief… "You did it, Elsa," he said to her, and his tone was so awed. So… so grateful…? "You-you've sl-slain the mons-monster," he breathed, voice suddenly much weaker as his throat began to feel cold and tight. "Take-take your-your prize. My-my b-brothers… They-they'll forgive you… They-they're w-weak li-like that." Elsa watched numbly, mouth agape, as Hans began to freeze at a rapid rate. Not like the ice sculptures Anna and Iscawin had become either, but as if he had frozen to death lost in an icy tundra, almost as if something was interfering within him. "Not so much a monster now, are you? Y-you n-never were. Not-not com-compared to me."

"Hans!" she heard his brother cry out in terror, having just realized what was happening as he woke up. Iscawin staggered to his feet and ran towards his sibling. Hans looked vulnerably at his big brother, a moment of fear in his eyes that betrayed how terrified he truly felt. Quickly, though, he hid it so _she_ wouldn't see. But she had, and already she was regretting this and starting to believe it had been too much.

Just then Hans's other brothers burst into the chamber. They froze on seeing their sibling. "Hans!" Rhun was the first to cry out in horror.

Hans looked over at them. "I-I'm sor-sorry. I-I had to sa-save him… And all of you…" he said. "It's-it's okay. It-it's okay…" Suddenly he collapsed. Iscawin caught him in his arms quickly and lowered him down. Immediately the others raced over to the two youngest ones, sliding next to their baby brother whose skin was as white as snow and whose hair was frozen and frosted. His body was stiff and ice shone off his flesh.

 _He was so beautiful in this death-like state… Even in life he had always been._

"Hans? Hans!" Justic cried out, shaking his brother's shoulders. The young one didn't move…

Frozen

"You-you killed him…" Jürgen Meilic said numbly as it began to register. "You killed him!" he screamed suddenly, drawing his sword and rising, turning on Elsa.

Quickly Iscawin stood in front of him. "No! Not now! There's been too much blood spilled already! Not another life!" he said, drawing his sword.

"She killed Hans!" Jürgen shouted.

"She saved _me_!" Iscawin yelled back. "Hans's death is not her fault and I will stand between you and her to death if I have to!"

"You trai…" Jürgen began.

"Meilic, enough," Moren hollowly said, holding their baby brother's hand tightly in his own. "Enough…" he repeated, voice breaking.

Neb suddenly sobbed and fell over his brother's body, holding him tightly and kissing his forehead. "Hans, Hans, Hans," he whimpered over and over. Mael gasped back a sob and kissed his brother's other hand tenderly, unable to speak. His tears, though, fell on the cold skin. Oh gods, the skin was _so_ cold…

Elsa felt numb. They loved him. They had loved him so much… Had she? This was-was her fault. No… No, it wasn't! "He told me to take him in exchange for Iscawin," she dared to say. "It was the only way to bring Iscawin back…" Hadn't it been? _Hadn't_ it been?!

"Oh gods," Iscawin said, sobbing and covering his mouth, shaking his head in denial. "Oh gods, Hans why? Why?" He turned to her, hurt in his eyes. "Why did you agree? Why did you agree?!" he asked.

She was quiet. "Because he told me you loved me," she admitted.

 _That is not why. You don't **know** why. Or don't want to know why._

Iscawin blushed, body tensing. "He what?" he breathed.

"He told me you loved me. That you would have given up anything to be with me except for… for him and your other brothers… Or was that another of his lies?" she asked.

Iscawin was silent. He looked down at the paper on the ground and bent, picking it up and reading it. Agony came to his expression and he clutched the paper tightly, bowing his head and letting his tears fall. "Lady, I would have happily married you and there would have been no man gladder. All he said to you were words I had considered saying many times… But they weren't my words… This diary entry wasn't my entry…"

She paled. Where was this going? Why was she so afraid she knew the answer?

 _Because you realize that if you hadn't been in such an emotionally high state, you would have seen and heard that it couldn't have been Iscawin who wrote and spoke those words. You would have seen the clues._

"What?" she asked.

"There would be no man happier than I if I were to marry you… And no man more heartbroken than the one who truly wrote and said these things…" he answered.

"Who?" she breathed, as pale as the snow around her.

 _You know who. The daughters of the sun told no lie. Did you even need them to tell you he loved you for you to guess as much?_

Iscawin looked up at her. "Everything he said were words spoken from his own mouth. _He_ was the one who loved you more than even I could have ever hoped to match, though I wanted to so desperately. Near the end there had become nothing Hans wasn't willing to give up or lose for you. Somewhere along the lines opportunity, hatred, and jealousy became desire and longing and love, and he never even knew how it had come to be… He told us shortly before his engagement to you, that he would have given up throne, life, and everything if it meant there could be a chance at earning even your forgiveness so at least he would die knowing the woman he had come to adore, though she may have despised him for eternity, had at least pitied him enough to lie about forgiving him for all he had done to wrong her. He would have given up everything except for us…"

Frozen

Elsa felt like she'd been struck dumb. She hardly heard what they said next. She wished she hadn't heard at all, but she did. "On the first night that we stalked you up this mountain, the first night we camped, we were cruel to you," Rhun said. "We knew his conflict, his distress, and around the fire we instigated a bout of wicked taunting against you to try and convince ourselves, as much as him, that we would be able to do this."

"What desperate fool among men would marry the pathetic, disgusting, wicked monster sorceress of Arendelle, we said… _He_ said..." Justic recalled. He wished he could forget that night. "And we laughed, say for Iscawin and Mael and Moren… Hans laughed… He laughed cruellest of all… And then he rose and was suddenly so, so quiet, and we-we knew something was wrong…"

"He said ' _I_ would. That's what's truly pathetic and sickening.'," Connyn stated quietly. "'I would have married her in less than a heartbeat were she the poorest maiden in all the world.' Then he left, and we never saw him for the rest of the night."

"My queen, how he despised you... He despised you with an untold passion. And loved you just as much..." Duach murmured, still numbly looking down at his brother. "This diary entry he showed you? He read it to me on one of the nights we camped on our way to find you, when I caught him scribbling in his journal. I asked who it was about. He answered me and he said... He said, 'Someone I lost a long time ago.'" Duach said. "I knew who he meant…"

"And as we watched this cavern in silence, waiting for you to emerge, I asked him if he had ever thought about settling down and letting anger go… He told me that he had… He had envisioned a family, a wife and children. His beloved was so beautiful she shamed the light of the moon that shone off the lightly blowing snow... She was a spirit that had come down to earth. Her skin was porcelain without blemish, her hair was spun of winter snows, her eyes were a piercing blue, and her every move was ethereal as if she was not even of the world… But he remembered most her tears… The tears she had shed while he had approached her on the fjords. For I believe that in that moment the ice around his heart began to melt," Moren stated.

"He told me he could not be forgiven," Kelin-Sel began. "For something he could never forgive himself for and yet didn't regret even for one minute because it brought the thirteen of us closer. It saved us all. I told him I saw there was regret in him too, and he told me that there was more regret than I would ever know. Regret because he lost you… He never even knew he truly wanted you… And Meilic dared ask if it was all worth it in the end..."

"He said no. Just no… Except in that it spared us pain, and at first I was confused because…" Meilic began. He trailed off, shaking his head. "I know what he meant now…" he finished in a whisper. He had tricked them all… The Chameleon Prince had tricked them all…

"He told me, as we pursued you into this place, to never let you believe it was the man you killed and not the monster," Iscawin whispered more harshly than he'd meant to. "But I can't live that lie." He turned to her. "He wasn't gone, Elsa… He was still there…"

Elsa, confused and overwhelmed and frightened, suddenly seemed to fully come to terms with what she had done. With a cry, she covered her mouth, shaking her head in denial. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening! It couldn't be true. No!

 _No. No, no, no, no, no! Hans…_

She gave a choking sob, staring numbly at her young Admiral struggling to understand. She couldn't understand! Just then footsteps approached. Footsteps that sounded like ice treading upon ice…


	19. The Sunbeams and Vertigo's Brothers

The Sunbeams and Vertigo's Brothers

Kristoff was lost. He hated to admit it to himself, but he was. He'd lost their trail and had no idea where to even _start_ to look to pick it up again! Inwardly he cursed. He had to find them! "Kristoff, sweet Kristoff, we know where to look," voices sweetly sang. He spun quickly and his lips slowly parted in awe as he watched twelve figures begin to materialize in the sunbeams. Women, all of them.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"We are the ones who have protected you from the Ice Maiden and kissed away her kiss of death. We are the daughters of the sun," the women sang.

"Nature spirits," Kristoff realized, eyes widening.

"We know where to find those you seek, and as best we can we will protect you still," they sang. "Follow us." Immediately they started off giggling and humming, racing through the forest.

"Hey, wait!" Kristoff called. "Sven, go!" Sven immediately charged after them, galloping his hardest to keep up. The woods were going by in a blur, and then they were on the rocky cliffs. Kristoff gawked at them in wonder but couldn't focus long on it. He had to keep the sunbeams in sight. All at once they stopped. Sven slid to a halt. The sunbeams hummed and floated forward, surrounding the entrance to a cave, bathing it in a stunning light.

"Through here, sweet Kristoff, but we cannot follow you very deep inside, to where the sun cannot touch, so you must be wary," they sang together, gesturing. One by one they faded away…

Kristoff swallowed and dismounted Sven. "Stay out of sight boy. Until I come out," Kristoff murmured to him. Sven snorted, nodding. Kristoff petted his reindeer gently then headed towards the cavern. He wasn't sure what he'd find in there, but he was willing to bet he wouldn't like it. Oh boy. Here went nothing.

Frozen

The footsteps drew near. All the princes turned towards the sound slowly, numbly, fearfully. Elsa didn't move, standing still as if she didn't even hear. The princes grouped together tightly and closely, watching the thing that was approaching. Until it had physically brushed by Elsa's side, though, the Snow Queen didn't even acknowledge its existence. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… He really thought this would work? Well, perhaps it would have. Were he truly gone," the thing, the woman who now seemed to be more spirit than even ice, said. "Oh, sweet young prince, you really do fail at all you do, don't you? We'll be sure to change that."

"Leave him alone," Elsa said in a whisper. She knew the voice. She remembered the mention of the mortal shell the triplets had talked of.

"A widow before your wedding. Tragic in a beautiful sort of way," the Ice Maiden said. She turned to Elsa. "It will only bury him, if you drive me off. I'm here to fix your mistake, my dear. I wouldn't refuse my mercy, if I were you."

"I deny your mercy. I can fix my _own_ mistakes," Elsa answered in a hiss.

The Ice Maiden grinned in cruel amusement. "Too late," she said. Suddenly she extended her hand towards the prince, and before anyone could move, the shards of ice tore from his body. The young man gasped in agony as breath poured back into his lungs, body arching in pain as he quickly and brutally began to revive, thrashing and writhing painfully, though still mostly unconscious.

"Hans!" Connyn exclaimed, trying to go to his brother. He was forced back as a wall of ice sprang up, blocking him. Elsa immediately dispersed the ice wall. In annoyance, the Ice Maiden sent a spike at her, which she deftly parried before meeting the woman's eyes in shock.

"Oh, that's right. You haven't been properly introduced to all I'm capable of. You don't _really_ know who I am. What I can do. You know I am the Ice Maiden, but what that means? Well, that's another story. I'm much like you, your Majesty, only different. I am the Queen of the Glaciers, and ice and cold is my element," the woman who had once called herself Greta said. All at once Hans sat bolt upright, awakening and clutching his chest with a pained cry. The Ice Maiden quickly knelt, supporting him so he wouldn't fall back. On feeling her touch, Hans threw himself away from her and staggered shakily to his feet, trying to understand and catch up to what was happening and what had been done to him.

"Hans," Elsa said, stepping towards him cautiously. She didn't expect him to respond to her in any form of kindness, but she didn't expect his reaction either. He looked at her… Looked at her like he'd never even known her. Confused and wary.

"My dear prince," the Ice Maiden purred, going to the young prince and draping her arms over his shoulders. He didn't look at her, gaze fixed on Elsa as clarity began to return to him. Suddenly he pulled away from the Ice Maiden and stepped back from everyone as if being near them was inviting some malicious plague down on his head. His gaze had gone from confused to hard and cold and accusing. "Now don't be like that, Hans," the Ice Maiden chastised. She turned to Elsa. "She seems to believe you still love her. Now who put that idea in her head, I wonder."

Hans was silent, staring at the Ice Maiden and still trying to process all of this. Finally he answered, "Likely my brothers." He turned, looking at Elsa coldly and borderline disgustedly. "But they are liars, and she was naïve to believe them. Like you, Ice Maiden, are naïve to believe I would have any part of you willingly."

"I don't ask you to be willing," she replied.

Hans scowled at her darkly. "Hans… please," Elsa said. She had no other words she could say. Not after all she'd done to Iscawin, and then to him. What could even be said anymore?

"Don't… talk to me," Hans said, putting up his hand towards her.

"Hans, you…" Iscawin began.

"That goes triply for all of you!" he snapped viciously at his brothers. He was beyond done with this. Beyond done with everything. He shuddered almost visibly. Almost, but not quite. Love wasn't worth the pain. Love was never worth the pain! Oh, what was he even saying or thinking anymore? He swallowed dryly and looked back at Elsa, and for a moment, just a moment, there was anguish before he hid it behind coldness again. "I will have no part of you, Snow Queen of Arendelle… And if my brothers aren't willing to finish the job we started in coming here, then I _will_!"

She gasped in fear as he rushed her, blade drawn. Swiftly she conjured up an ice sword in her own hand and blocked his descending sword, looking up at him in fear. "Hans, don't!" Lars cried out in fear.

"Elsa!" Iscawin exclaimed. Immediately they raced to try and step in, but suddenly the Ice Maiden spun on them and cast an icy spell. All at once they froze in place. They realized immediately they couldn't move. Just as swiftly, they noticed themselves freezing, icy shells beginning to entomb them in a sort of twisted prison. Hans stopped, gawking at them in terror with Elsa forgotten. She had forgotten the prince too, her eyes also fixed in mortification on the freezing heirs of the isles.

"No!" Hans exclaimed, racing towards them. Elsa covered her mouth in shock. What was happening to them? What had the Ice Maiden done?! She gasped, hurrying after Hans to go to them. As they reached them, the shells finished forming leaving nothing but statues that one by one fell to the ground and were still. She dropped next to them, along with the Admiral. Hans was still, looking down at the body he'd fallen next to. Kelin-Sel. He stared numbly. He reached out, trying to feel breath. There was nothing through the ice. Elsa was currently desperately trying to find any sign of life in Iscawin. When she staggered back looking like she'd been struck dumb, Hans knew she'd been unsuccessful.

"You killed them…" Elsa realized in numb horror.

"Not quite," the Ice Maiden answered. "Though they're as good as dead in this state. They're trapped, you see. They're aware of what's happening, but unable to do a single thing. Those will be their tombs now, but they won't suffer too long. They'll die of thirst in a few days, mummified alive in their icy encasements. Go on, Snow Queen. Try and set them free," she challenged.

"Ice Maiden!" a voice suddenly shouted. Elsa quickly turned, eyes wide.

"Kristoff!" she exclaimed in shock.

Frozen

Kristoff gawked at the scene in disbelief. The heck was even going on in here?! Were the princes all dead? Oh please say they weren't. He looked up at the Ice Maiden, who looked stunned, and immediately regretted speaking up. "Let them go," he finally found it in his voice to say.

"Oh, this worked out better than I'd imagined," she replied, a cruel smirk parting her lips as her eyes lit up. "Come, child. Embrace me once again."

"I said let them go!" Kristoff angrily shouted.

"What, so they can finish the job of assassinating the queen?" the Ice Maiden asked.

Kristoff started, eyes widening, and looked quickly at Hans. Hans wasn't meeting his eyes. Or anyone's, for that matter, instead staring numbly at his siblings. No answer was coming for the prince, so he turned to Elsa. "Elsa, what's going on?" he asked.

Elsa was quiet and bowed her head, closing her eyes. "It's hard to explain," she replied. Oh was it ever hard to explain.

"Tell him if I'm right or wrong. Were they or were they not trying to kill you?" the Ice Maiden asked.

"I… Yes… They were," Elsa confirmed, meeting her brother-in-law's eyes once more.

"What? Why?!" Kristoff demanded, pale.

"Because a monster never changes," the Ice Maiden answered, going to Hans and roughly making him look up at her and into her eyes. "Stand up, puppet. You're doing them no good staring." Hans was silent. After a moment, he rose to his feet, slipping on the stoic mask again. "There. Now, let's end this, shall we? The Queen is yours, but the boy… He's mine!"

Immediately she lunged for Kristoff. "No!" Elsa exclaimed, quickly moving between the Ice Maiden and the Ice Harvester, throwing up a barrier of ice. Angrily the Ice Maiden cut through, scowling at her.

"Out of the way, Snow Queen," she hissed. "You really think you can save him? Look how well your attempt to save the princes went." Elsa visibly cringed, stung. "Get out of the way," the Ice Maiden repeated.

"No," Elsa replied, eyes narrowing.

The Ice Maiden scowled then grinned evilly and immediately conjured an icy box that sprang up around Kristoff, trapping him. "Elsa, no!" Kristoff exclaimed, punching the ice. Desperately he tried to break out of the snare, but soon his voice faded as the thickness of the ice wall grew, though it remained transparent in what could only be described as perfect ice. Elsa was still, not even turning. Tears of hurt and guilt burned her eyes as she stared at the young Prince standing so far away, and the Ice Maiden now confronting her. Hans wasn't looking at her… He wasn't even looking at her… That hurt so much more than she wanted it too, because despite all he'd done—or all she'd thought he'd done?—even when she was totally and completely willing to end his life, there was still something so much deeper lingering beneath… For the first time she found herself almost agreeing with the young Admiral. Love wasn't worth the trouble and pain it brought. It wasn't worth it.

Elsa turned to the Ice Maiden. The Ice Maiden would kill her, or try, and then kill Kristoff. Elsa knew, or strongly believed, that Hans wouldn't step in. He was allowing this attack. This potential murder. He was allowing it… But would he, when it all came down to it? Oh gods, she didn't know. She just didn't even know anymore! She sobbed, holding her head in her hands and shaking it. She didn't know… "So broken, Snow Queen. I had hoped for a little more fun," the Ice Maiden purred. "I had hoped for an actual fight. The Snow Queen verses the Ice Maiden? Wouldn't _that_ be a story to tell?" Elsa looked back at the prince whose head was hung, whose eyes were closed.

 _In him she could sense such turmoil…_

Not even the bravest of souls would dare to delve into what inner war he was fighting through now. Not even the bravest souls would want to _know_ , perhaps… But _she_ did… She wanted to know…

 _Don't let me fight this war alone, my lord… And in turn I won't let you fight yours alone… Hans, don't you remember that vow we gave one another so long ago in Weselton?_

For the first time, he glanced up. He met her eyes. In his tired gaze, she had her answer. He remembered… He remembered it so well… The Ice Maiden attacked, and god only knew what both the prince and the queen wished in that moment…

Frozen

Elsa blocked the Ice Maiden's attack immediately, eyes flashing dangerously. She felt strangely serene. She felt like not caring what happened or whether she lived or died. She felt like she was on autopilot and just going through the motions. Every attack the Ice Maiden sent, the Snow Queen blocked. But she hadn't yet attacked. Finally, though, she did, and the Ice Maiden reflected the attack back at her. Elsa cried out in pain as it struck her and sharply looked over, eyes glittering. So, that's how she wanted to play it? Fine. Immediately she sent out a group of snow gremlins to assail the Ice Maiden. The Ice Maiden hissed, batting at them and stabbing them with her ice spikes. Elsa sent out a freezing gust, but the Ice Maiden threw up a wall, protecting herself from it. She got rid of the wall the moment the gust had passed, giving her freedom to attack again, and sent out a surge of icy daggers and spears hurling at Elsa. Elsa formed a snowbank beneath her feet, lifting herself above the strike. She sent down another gust of ice and snow to the Ice Maiden. The Ice Maiden cried out as it swirled around her, obscuring her vision.

Angrily the Ice Maiden gave a shout and froze the ground beneath the snow drift, turning it into a mound of ice. Elsa gasped and screamed as she slipped down it. Ice spikes formed, waiting for her to slide into them, but the queen threw herself to the side and landed on the icy ground hard, giving out a cry as her arm screamed in protest at the way she'd landed on it. The prince looked. For the second time he looked before turning away again. That pained her more than the injury. She staggered up and sent out an assault against the Ice Maiden once more. Even she knew at this point, though, that she wasn't making much headway.

"This is the great and powerful Snow Queen? This is the woman men fear? This is the woman who can supposedly take out armies? This is the woman whose powers are stronger than one-hundred men? Hah! Either mortals are more pathetic than even _I_ gave them credit for, or you've lost your touch. It doesn't matter which it is, I suppose. Either way, you're dead now. Will be," the Ice Maiden taunted. "Farewell, Snow Queen."

The Ice Maiden made a move to lunge… Only to suddenly be caught in place, frozen. She gasped, feeling a pressure crushing around her. Elsa looked surprised, then horrified. Suddenly the Ice Maiden was spun around. On seeing who had caught her, she paled. Carabis!

Frozen

"Carabis!" the Ice Maiden exclaimed in shock. She gasped as Carabis released her from his spell to let her move again. Suddenly Elsa cried out in pain as some unnatural force seized her and pulled her across the room like some invisible thing dragging her where she didn't want to be. The next moment she found herself thrown up against the cave wall with so much unseen force crushing down around her that she could hardly breathe as it pinned her in place. No matter how she tried, she couldn't break free. It only seemed to get tighter until she could only gasp in the smallest of breaths, terrified. The Ice Maiden could only gape, fearful she'd be next. She turned to face the hogoblin once more. Carabis was in a rage… Such a rage…

The transparent ice box around Kristoff crumbled at the creature's bidding. Kristoff gawked at the hobgoblin who had murdered his adoptive family in shock. Oh, this wasn't good. That thing knew who he was… Fear, however, quickly gave way to something else. As he remembered his adoptive parents, as he remembered Gran' Pabbie, fear became rage. "You!" he shouted furiously. He tried to lunge, but swiftly Hans moved between him and the troll, holding the Ice Harvester at sword point. Kristoff gasped.

"You go after him like this, you die," Hans stated bluntly. Kristoff tried to get around Hans, but found quickly that there was no way Hans was letting him near the creature. He was cut off from Elsa and the Ice Maiden. And as to what side the _prince_ was on? You couldn't even tell anymore.

"Where. Is. Vertigo?" the hobgoblin darkly questioned, glaring at the Ice Maiden. Hans felt the shards shudder inside of him as he gazed at Carabis and felt Vertigo's fear. It was apparent to Carabis immediately that the Ice Maiden had no clue. She looked stunned and afraid. Worried. Not because of his suddenly showing up, though. It was because of Vertigo. The troll scanned the four in silence. His gaze stopped on Hans. His eyes narrowed darkly. "You?" he said. Hans was quiet. "Very well. If you won't do this reasonably, then I'll extract the worthless thing by any means necessary, even if it means ripping your essence from the shard in your heart!" Hans tensed. "But first… a choice," Carabis said. The prince swallowed numbly. "Give me back Vertigo in exchange for your brothers' lives." The Ice Maiden caught her breath, paling. Vertigo was… he was inside of _Hans_ …? But then that meant… Her eyes slowly widened in a horrified realization. That meant that despite the fact she had killed his brother's wife and children, and stood by while Carabis got rid of so many others, he had still seen fit to try and save her husband from his fate…

 _Had all she needed to do was ask instead of… of what she'd done…?_

Frozen

 _"_ _Don't, please! Don't send me back to him!"_

Vertigo, of course, knew he had no right to ask any sort of favor from the young prince, but there was nothing else he could do. Hans shifted slightly uneasily. "No," he finally answered the troll king. He didn't know why he'd said no, but there was no taking it back now. The Ice Maiden's lips parted in shock.

"Devil child!" Carabis roared, immediately attacking! Hans caught his breath, but before any harm could befall him, suddenly the Ice Maiden did a complete turnaround. As swiftly as a serpent turning to strike, she turned all her power on Carabis with a vengeance, obliterating the impact of his spell by forming an ice wall that it struck instead. Immediately spikes tore from the ground, piercing the hobgoblin through. Carabis screeched in anguish.

"Run Hans, run!" the Ice Maiden screamed. Hans was stunned. As was Elsa and Kristoff. What now?! Vertigo, Hans realized. She was fighting to protect Vertigo.

"Hans, Run!" Elsa pled. Why she was suddenly pleading with him to flee, she didn't know.

 _Yes you do._

"Hans, come on!" Kristoff shouted. This was Hans's best shot now.

 _"_ _You fool, run! Run! Get away from that thing, away from here. I have brothers, many, the same number as you. They will save you if only you will do what I tell you to! They will save even your own siblings."_

Hans didn't need to speak his agreement out loud. He turned and fled immediately, joining up with Kristoff and racing away as the Ice Maiden frantically tried to keep an infuriated Carabis at bay. The evil troll was now spewing curses and thrashing against the ice, destroying it with the talons he had morphed his hands into. "Stupid whore!" the troll roared at the Ice Maiden. With an angered war bellow he let out a spell of enough intensity that it ripped through her defences and struck her violently, throwing her down. She cried out, hitting the ground. The next second Carabis had slammed her against the cavern wall adjacent to Elsa and pinned her there in the same way he'd pinned the Snow Queen! She gasped, breath shuddering, and looked at the hobgoblin in terror. Maliciously, dangerously, not even in any sort of human form anymore but rather a monstrous one, he began to approach the two women, snarling. Suddenly he paused, sneered once more, then spun and raced after the prince—whose allegiance no one could even _guess_ at anymore—and the Ice Harvester.

Frozen

"The heck did you do, Hans? And your brothers and Elsa and… What the hell is happening, man?!" Kristoff demanded. Hans was quiet. Eerily so. Kristoff looked at him in disbelief before deciding it probably wasn't a good idea to prod for an answer he wasn't even sure he wanted at this point.

The two men darted out of the cave. "What now?" Hans asked.

"You're asking _me_?!" Kristoff demanded.

"No. Something else," Hans answered.

"What?!" Kristoff demanded. Hans didn't reply. Again. Kristoff groaned. Oh, this didn't sit well with him.

 _"_ _Climb to the top of the mountain this cave is beneath."_

"Are you insane?! Vertigo will take me out in seconds! I'm no climber," Hans argued.

 _"_ _I_ _ **am**_ _Vertigo, you moron! Climb!"_

Hans grimaced. The nature spirit made a point. He swallowed, looking up. "You know what? I'm not even going to ask. Just… just do what I do, okay?" Kristoff said, immediately going to the mountain. From what he could gather they were supposed to climb to the top? Oh what the heck was even happening anymore? Kristoff took hold of the rocks and began to make his way up. "Do _exactly_ what I do, Hans," he called to the prince.

"Yeah. Not gonna be a problem," Hans, obviously uneasy about this, replied. Quickly he followed the ice harvester. They were about a quarter of the way up when Carabis burst out of the cave and looked up, growling. Hans and Kristoff looked down and gasped. He was already scrambling up, and with those claws this climb wasn't proving a challenge.

"Oh s**t!" Kristoff exclaimed before biting his tongue. Suddenly, though, the hobgoblin gave a cry, nearly toppling off. He was forced to cling all the harder to the mountainside, looking shocked and horrified.

 _"_ _Go, I have him at bay. Not even the hobgoblin can resist vertigo. Not when that thing is in this state and forgets he's part sprite."_

"Keep climbing, Kristoff! As fast as you can! I'll keep up!" Hans shouted. Hopefully. Vertigo benefitted from his being alive but also benefitted from him being dead, so he was taking a very, very big risk in trusting this nature spirit. Especially given the stunts its better half had pulled off. Kristoff nodded and did so. He really had no choice but to listen at this point anyway. He was totally out of the loop. He knew the Ice Maiden was involved and that Elsa had been in danger and the princes a problem, but beyond that? Nothing.

It wasn't long before Kristoff and Hans scrambled onto the summit. The hobgoblin was three quarters of the way up. "What now?" Kristoff asked.

"Now we hope and pray the chameleon prince wasn't out-chameleoned," Hans answered.

"We do _what_?!" Kristoff freaked. He gasped as suddenly deep chuckles surrounded him and Hans. He looked quickly around, eyes wide, as figures began to form. Figures of men whose expressions were darkly amused. Dark amusement, though, became surprise.

"You are not Vertigo. Where is our brother?" one said to Hans. Kristoff heard it too, and his mouth dropped.

"Inside him," another brother hissed, recoiling in horror. "I sense… A mirror."

"Carabis," a third stated. Darkly he chuckled. "Vertigo, you've gotten into some trouble you can't get out of, we see."

There was a pause, in which Hans could only guess Vertigo was communing with his siblings, and then... "We hear your words, brother. It will be done!" a fourth declared determinedly.

"That spiteful creature. He will not torment our sibling any further! May he suffer!" yet another roared in outrage. Immediately, cackling wickedly, the brothers took on wraithlike forms and dove over the ledge in anger, swarming Carabis. Carabis cried out in terror and alarm as all manner of fears regarding heights and vertigo struck him. He lost his grip and cried out, tumbling from the cliff and falling fast, crashing into the ground. Hans and Kristoff looked over the edge in shock. Carabis wasn't moving, but they doubted he was dead. They cried out as suddenly Vertigo's brothers returned, catching them up and carrying the two men back down into the depths of the caverns, the mortals letting out cries of fear and alarm at being picked up and carried by, well, little more than nothing, if that made sense.

Carabis groaned, starting to awaken. He scowled darkly, looking towards the cavern. Immediately he cast a spell vengefully on the place. An illusion that would twist and turn the chambers so that not even the nature spirits would easily navigate it. He had to reach the Ice Maiden and the Snow Queen before the two young men and Vertigo's brothers did. He felt this falling apart, or starting to, but he could still remedy this if he was quick.

Frozen

Elsa and the Ice Maiden struggled to break free of the force surrounding them, but to no avail. Elsa stopped, finally, to catch her breath, and turned her gaze to the twelve frozen princes, anguish in her eyes. "They aren't dead, so forget them and focus on getting free!" the Ice Maiden said. Elsa shot her an annoyed look then focused on trying to get free again.

"Give up. You won't escape as long as I don't want you to," Carabis's voice said as the troll materialized in the room.

Elsa and the Ice Maiden sharply looked at him, eyes narrowed. He chuckled. "Such defiant creatures, aren't you?" he said, approaching them slowly. "I think I will have to break that defiance somehow. I know." His gaze turned slowly and darkly on Elsa. "Let me show you how helpless you truly are," he said in a growl that was more than a little suggestive. Elsa stiffened, tensing up. The hobgoblin took back a more human-like form and approached her slowly. The Ice Maiden watched in silence. She knew the signs. She knew what Carabis would do to the girl.

He moved right up close to Elsa, who glared up at him in silent defiance. He took her chin between his fingers and leaned close. "Let me wipe that look off of your face once and for all," he darkly growled, and fear slowly crept its way up into her heart as he eyes widened slowly in understanding. _No_ … No! She gasped and tried to struggle again, but the unseen pressure around her crushed down so hard she gave a cry of pain.

Carabis seized her gown roughly, intending to rip it open, but just then the Ice Maiden cried, "Leave her be! Do whatever you will to me, but leave her be!"

Elsa and Carabis both turned to the woman in shock. The Ice Maiden glared dangerously at Carabis, a look that screamed murder. "You're… offering yourself in your rival's place?" Carabis incredulously asked. "Why?"

The Ice Maiden was silent. "Because it's no less than I deserve for the vile things I did on your order," she finally answered.

"You realize, of course, your offer will be rejected?" Carabis said.

"I thought the Fair Folk quite liked deals," the Ice Maiden challenged easily. Oh, she was good, Elsa noted. The way the hobgoblin's jaw twitched slightly, he knew she was playing him but at the same time couldn't resist the curiosity.

"Because your last deal worked so well," the troll bit.

"You've taken all I ever loved. I may well never see him again. What do I have to lose anymore?" she asked.

"Your very being and all that makes you as you are now. Your body, your sentience… You will be little more than a force, as was intended at first," Carabis said.

"Hardly a price at all," she answered.

Carabis frowned darkly, but curiosity was building to the point Elsa almost dared believe he'd forgotten about her. But then he glanced out the corner of his eye and her heart plummeted. A cruel smirk parted his lips. "I think I'll take my chances with this one," he replied to the Ice Maiden. She was silent. She hadn't expected it to work, honestly. All she'd wanted to do was buy some time… And she had.

Swiftly the troll turned back to Elsa and seized her dress, pulling her close and covering her mouth with his own as she gave a scream! Roughly he began to kiss her, biting harshly and drawing blood, which only seemed to make him rougher still.

Frozen

The nature spirits were spewing and hissing in rage at the obstacles in their way and the maze the hobgoblin had laid out. Suddenly voices were heard singing and Vertigo's brothers stopped, listening. All at once they darted towards the voices and followed them. "What are those?" Hans demanded.

"The sunbeams," Kristoff realized. Through what few cracks in the cave there were, they peered and read the maze from above. They were singing directions, leading their husbands towards their objective. The voices faded as all hints of light disappeared, but the brothers of Vertigo seemed to have gotten their bearings again and now tore through the cavern with certainty, carrying the mortals with them. Kristoff and Hans's eyes widened. There was the chamber! And in it was light, which meant there was a chance the women would return.

They burst into it as Carabis sealed Elsa's mouth with his own, and as she gave a muffled cry. Kristoff's mouth dropped and Hans gawked in disbelief. Oh. Hell. No. He could stand by for a lot, but not this! Not to her! "Elsa!" Hans exclaimed, snapping into action and racing forward as Vertigo's brothers plunged into the frozen bodies of his brothers to do gods only knew what. When the more materialized forms of the sunbeams began to appear, drawn to their husbands and managing to use what little light there was to their advantage. The Ice Maiden subtly smirked. She'd bought the Queen just _enough_ time, it seemed. The sunbeams bent and began to kiss away the chill of her curse that was upon the young princes. The shells began to melt.

"Hans!" Kristoff called after the prince, who was mid-charge, but Hans didn't stop.

Carabis hardly had time to register that the Prince had arrived when he was tackled violently from the side, thrown to the ground. He gawked in disbelief as this mortal dared to grapple with him! This _mortal_!

 _But through him and all his brothers runs the blood of Mor'du and of Merida…_

A chill shot up Carabis's spine as he began to register that he may be in a worse position than he'd thought.

The forces trapping Elsa and the Ice Maiden shattered, and they fell to the ground free. Elsa quickly looked over at the prince, who was rolling across the floor with the evil sprite. She gasped in horror as she watched Carabis subtly prepare to fire what looked to be a very nasty spell. Oh no… oh no, oh no, oh no. No!

"Hans!" she exclaimed, racing towards the young man prince and the hobgoblin. Too late. The fae unleashed his attack, and Hans cried out in agony, flying off of him and slamming into the cavern wall with a sickening crack before collapsing to the ground with a gasp and lying still in a crumpled heap. She slid to a stop next to him. He was alive, but he had blacked out. The pain he was in was obvious in his agonized grimace… And then she saw it… His hand was clasped tightly around something hanging about his neck. Her heart skipped a beat. Shivering subtly, she took his hand and gently pried it open. She caught her breath on seeing. The pendent she'd given him the night before he'd sailed for Cumberland…

 _A man who did not love you would not be holding your gift to him the way he is now…_

Frozen

He still loved her, she realized in growing dread and alarm… He truly still loved her… "Elsa, look out!" Kristoff shouted. The hobgoblin had unleashed an attack heading straight for her and the prince! Scowling, Elsa spun on the fae angrily, throwing up a shield that shattered into a million pieces as the spell hit it, but did no more. Carabis's mouth dropped in shock.

"No more games. You will pay for crossing me in my own domain!" Elsa shouted at him.

Carabis started then cried out in anguish as an icy spear impaled him, then another, then another. Quickly he recovered himself and realized things had just gotten that much more serious. No more holding back. He went to attack, but suddenly he cried out in agony as something struck him with an unearthly scream. He cried out as he was thrown to the side then turned sharply, mouth agape. The Ice Maiden stood there. She had warped her body into a monstrous form and was watching him murderously. All at once she charged him with another unholy shriek. Elsa, taking the opportunity, began shooting attacks of ice and snow one after the other to assail Carabis and stop him from breaking off icy legs of thee horrific monstrosity the Ice Maiden had become. She was no fan of the thing that had once called herself Greta, but at least for now they were fighting on the same side.

Kristoff moved to run to Hans, but just then he caught movement out of his peripherals and turned quickly. His eyes widened and he caught his breath. Hans's brothers were reviving, strengthened by… by what? Wait… By Vertigo's brothers! His eyes widened. The nature spirits had lent their strength to the mortals, and the shells had been kissed away by the sunbeams! Oh, Carabis was eight types of dead now. Kristoff grinned excitedly and looked towards the outnumbered hobgoblin in victory… But his sense of victory may have come too early…

Suddenly the hobgoblin flew upwards, high towards the roof of the cavern out of immediate reach. He looked back down scowling and formed a spell. His gaze turned sharply to Hans. I gave you a choice. Now feel me rip Vertigo's essence from you body myself! There will be nothing left but his force when I am through! The Ice Maiden lost a hold on her form, immediately becoming human-like again. "No!" she screamed as the troll sent the spell at Hans.

"Hans!" Elsa cried out, spinning around in horror as the spell struck his body.


	20. A Frozen Heart Worth Mining

This Icy Force Both Foul and Fair has a Frozen Heart Worth Mining

(A/N: Some parte throw back to Frozen, other parts not so much. Tried to make this chapter pretty emotional. Here's hoping I succeeded.)

"Get up. Get up, damn you! You'll doom us both! Get up!" Vertigo shouted to the young man who now joined him in whatever hellish plain of existence this was. Joined him in the mirror?

"I can't," Hans replied in a whisper. He _wouldn't_.

"Get! Up!" Vertigo insisted, violently kicking what appeared as the boy's body but really was only some sort of illusion on some twisted plain of reality. "Hear the voices of the men damned to this mirror in the past! Hear them and see. You don't want to join them, Prince of the Southern Isles, you don't want to join them!" And he sure as _hell_ didn't want to be annihilated leaving behind nothing but his force and essence in the world. After all, you couldn't truly kill aspects of nature, just… wipe them out of existence. Kind of. A vegetative state, so to speak. There but not there and not aware. And not tangible anymore.

"Let me die," Hans answered, opening his eyes wearily.

Vertigo looked at the young man in shock. No. _Heck_ no! That boy wasn't giving up! Not like this! "You may be ready to give up, but I'm not!" Vertigo argued immediately. "If you're going to let yourself die, that's fine and dandy, but set me free first! Please set me free!"

"I don't know how!" Hans insisted, rising in this… Whatever this place he was seeing was. It was like when he'd been trapped inside the mirror during that whole incident with the shadows in Weselton, and every bit as terrifying if not more. "I let you migrate from that mirror into the safety of the shards within me, but I had no clue how to get you out! I never _did_! I just…"

"You just felt like you had to try," Vertigo cut off. Hans tensed up, looking at him. Why did he feel like he was supposed to be picking up on some lesson or other that the aspect of nature was giving him? Whatever lesson it was, he wasn't grasping it. Or just wasn't letting himself grasp it.

"When I die, my body will be yours to possess," Hans said.

"You stupid child. I don't _want_ your body or life!" Vertigo answered. Too much drama that would come with it. He dealt with enough drama as it was. And perhaps that would be cruel even for him...

They heard the Ice Maiden scream 'no'. They heard Elsa shriek Hans's name. Vertigo swallowed then looked woefully at Hans. Hans tensed up, immediately hating that look. The look that seemed like a man who knew he was going to die. It was the look he'd seen in so many he'd killed before… "You should have tried harder…" Vertigo whispered. Hans felt the spell strike his body and gawked in horror as Vertigo shrieked in pain, beginning to disintegrate. He heard the desperate cries of Vertigo's brothers… And his own siblings… No, no, he couldn't let this one go! He couldn't fail the nature aspect! Hans felt the connection snap between Vertigo and the mirror shard within him. A window of opportunity, he realized suddenly. In the few seconds it would take for Carabis to erase the nature spirit's sentience and personality, he needed it free of the mirror! This was their chance, _its_ chance!

"Vertigo, lend me your strength!" Hans blurted. He didn't know why that thought had come to mind, but it had. Realization filled Vertigo's eyes and suddenly Hans felt a rush of power shoot through him and could have sworn he heard Carabis bellow a curse in outrage.

 _He knows he screwed up… He knows he screwed up!_

Frozen

The Ice Maiden gasped back a sob, collapsing to her knees stunned, tears filling her eyes.

 _You deserve this… But he didn't, dammit, he didn't!_

She heard Hans's brothers, now working in tandem with Vertigo's brothers inside them and feeding from each other's rage and grief, swarm Carabis violently. She could almost dare to hope they would kill him, but she knew she wouldn't be so lucky. It was never that simple. Sure enough, the more damage the brothers did to the hobgoblin, the more they tried to hack him up, the more warped and twisted he seemed to become.

"Alive, alive, Vertigo is alive!" she heard the daughters of the sun sing out loudly. She gasped, looking sharply up as the women danced in glee. The news was enough to freeze Vertigo's brothers, and by extension Hans's, in place. Carabis took the opportunity to break free, badly maimed and damaged. He had to escape while he could! Elsa, on hearing Vertigo was alive, gasped and turned quickly to Hans. What she saw made her stomach twist horribly, and her eyes widened in shocked disbelief...

Frozen

Hans, shivering, painfully opened his eyes. He could see nothing but blurry images of figures he knew that seemed to be standing in some dark inferno. He grimaced on feeling the mirror shards within him twisting and turning violently, embedding themselves into his heart and head as if they'd never truly been fully integrated into his body until now, though they had been as far as he knew... And still the only difference he felt was the amount of pain it brought… That terrified him more than anything. Oh the pain, god, the pain!

 _You deserve it, monster. Traitor! Deceiver. You deserve it._

He closed his eyes tightly, willing the inner voices, suddenly so much louder and more powerful, to stop, and willing the sound of crackling flames to end. Burning in hellfire, he noted to himself. He could have laughed at his own doom, if he'd had the strength. He was burning in a hellish fire somewhere in the depths of Tartarus.

 _I did all I could to save you, to show you that you were not lost… Yet here you are. More a betrayer than you've ever been. Chameleon prince, do you even know who or what you are anymore? Have you ever?_

"Stop," he whispered to himself. Enough… Please enough.

 _Traitor prince, you are safer the monster. All the world is a deceit, a cruel trick. Why do you tell yourself there can be light?_

"I don't want this, I don't want this," he whimpered.

 _Give in to us. You are safe in your masks. Give in to us. You were better off as the villain. It was so much simpler._

It was always so much easier to do bad and wrong things. It always _had_ been and always would be. Why did anyone fight against that nature, really? There was no point. The good suffered, the wicked prospered. From infancy he had known and been shown as much. What was cruel survived, what was kind died. That was why mother died and father lived. That was why the Duke of Weselton's daughters died and the shadow lived. That was why his nieces and nephews and sisters-in-law had died and their murderers were still here... That was why _Aaron_ died and the hobgoblin lived on… And that was why Elsa would die.

 _So many lies, so much death, such great pain… You are so sick of it all. Lies, death, deceit, treachery, cruelty. The world is black. There is no light. You cannot reach for what isn't there. Give up and be what you need to be, not what you want to be! What you want to be can't live,_ _ **won't**_ _live. Give up…_

"No, no more," Hans said. He felt like the world was suddenly crushing him. Like everything was crushing him! Everything was out to hurt him.

 _Hide from it or fight or die. Everything is out to hurt you. You are safe in your masks._

"No!" he shouted viciously and suddenly, shooting to his feet as a new sort of power coursed through him, setting his blood alight as if it were lava. He felt as if an inferno were blazing around him, but he didn't care. He didn't care! "No, no, no! I am _not_ yours!"

 _I will be what I choose!_

 _You lie to yourself. All you feel is deceit, and all the words you hear are falsehoods._

 _Everything you know is pain and suffering and bloodshed! Everything you believed is a lie and treacherous and cruel!_

 _Only dark surrounds you._

 _Wicked Prince!_

Hans gave a cry. He wanted to die. He wanted to die! He wanted this to end! Make the voices stop… And then they did… When he heard _her_ scream his name… He didn't even bother trying to process why, but it had, and suddenly there was... was nothing... He felt nothing but a dangerous calm wash over him as he looked at her...

Frozen

Vertigo was in a panic inside of the prince. What in the name of the gods _was_ this nightmare?! The voice piercing the young man's thoughts, the shouts and screams and memories of death and ruin and evil. He almost felt like he'd been better off in the mirror! ...And then the burning came as the prince shot to his feet, feeding from a power that wasn't Vertigo's alone anymore. Vertigo had awakened him, given him 'life', but this? This was something entirely new! His essence within Hans had triggered something powerful in the prince, it must have he realized. He had triggered something in Hans that he couldn't stop! Vertigo screamed in pain as that essence attacked him violently, ejecting him from the body of the young royal, and the next thing he knew he heard her voice. The Ice Maiden's.

"Vertigo!" she screamed. He realized, suddenly, the cold. He was being forced out of the prince. He was being forced back into his tangible form! He cried out in agony as the burning devoured him until suddenly she was there, pulling him away from the young heir in terror and looking more frightened than he'd ever known her to look. He gasped frantically for breath as his brothers emerged from the hosts they'd revived and swarmed around him, pulling him farther. He looked back and his eyes widened as he caught his breath. The prince. What was happening to the prince?!

All at once Elsa screamed the boy's name, and Vertigo's attention was sharply diverted. So, apparently, was Hans's, because all at once an almost terrifying calm washed over him as he spun to face her, fighting to breathe.

Frozen

Elsa gaped in shock and horror, hardly daring to believe what she was seeing.

 _Hans…_

There the prince stood, gazing into her eyes. His own were so anguished and afraid that it physically pained her to see. And his brothers as well, she realized on noticing they were in tears, covering their mouths or holding their heads in their hands in shock. Kristoff was stunned.

The prince's sword was alight with a white flame, and his body… his body burned as if he had come through the flames of Hades… He gazed silently at them all, at _her_ , and she watched some measure of peace flow into him, but only very briefly. He looked at his arm, burning and crackling wildly, brightly. Fire spread beneath his feet. "Can a man who has walked through the fires of Tartarus ever lay eyes on the fields of Elysium?" he wondered out loud after a moment, unnervingly more morbidly consumed by what he was seeing than surprised by it.

"Hans…" she began. But she could find no more words. He suddenly seemed to snap back to reality, and sharply he looked at her. She saw the fear in his eyes return, the unease. She saw anguish and guilt and self-hatred quickly consume the first emotions. She saw despair, and what horrified her most? Resolve. An unwavering resolve to… to what?

 _To die…_

She felt her heart pounding in her chest as if trying to break out and flee from everything it was feeling and experiencing in this moment. He began to back away. She knew that sign, and concern and fear filled her expression. "No… Don't," she said.

 _Don't run like I did. Don't run…_

He was quiet. "I… I'm sorry," he finally answered. Immediately he turned and fled from her, from his brothers, from Kristoff, from _everyone_ , as quickly as he could in a blind desperation as he gave in and went wherever it was his feet seemed to be guiding him.

"Hans!" Elsa cried out after him. "Hans!" she called again.

 _Everything around him burned as he passed…_

Water began to trickle down the cavern walls from the melting ice as its very structure was weakened by the heat, and the rocks burned like in an oven so intensely hot that the others needed to get out or be baked alive. Vertigo immediately spirited the Ice Maiden far from the heat, his brothers at his back with the sunbeams. Hans's brothers tried to follow their sibling, desperate to catch him before he hurt himself. But they couldn't. They couldn't follow him through the chamber that had become like an oven. If they tried, they would only doom themselves. They needed to get out the other exit! Though they didn't want to, it wasn't a choice anymore, and along with a mortified Kristoff they fled the chamber before they could cook. But Elsa…? For once she didn't feel the heat, her icy gift swirling around her to protect her from it. She only knew she had to catch him. She had to stop him! She couldn't let him run. She couldn't! Why couldn't she?

 _Because he seeks death, not an escape. And if you lose him, you will never see him alive again._

Frozen

Vertigo watched from above as the prince fled from the cavern, fire blazing behind him. "I'm going after him," he said.

"Vertigo, no," the Ice Maiden said.

"I have to! I feel something very bad will happen if I don't. I'll be back, I promise," he said.

"I will follow you," she stated.

"You can't withstand that heat!" Vertigo argued.

"If all goes well, I won't have to," she answered, watching as Elsa raced out of the cavern in pursuit of the prince.

Vertigo eyes the scene then sighed, nodding in agreement. He looked to his brothers. "Thank you. All of you. For coming." He turned to the daughters of the sun. "And you as well, sisters-in-law." They giggled, fading one by one into the sun and beckoning alluringly to his brothers.

"We always will come," a sibling answered as they all bowed to their brother. With that, they tore off in pursuit of their wives with a look in their eyes that told Vertigo dryly that they were going to be having quite a bit of fun indeed when they caught the sunbeams. Why did they have to be so obvious? He felt the Ice Maiden take his hand and glanced at her

"Let's go," she said. He nodded in agreement.

Frozen

Carabis dragged his maimed and battered body into the forest, damning the princes of the Southern Isles and the nature spirits with everything he was worth. Damning the Ice Maiden and the Snow Queen, damning the would-be-vassal, and in general damning everything and anything. He heard a dark and low huffing and weakly looked up. He swallowed. From out of the forest in front of him lumbered the bear…

Carabis sneered at it as it eyed him darkly. Raising itself onto its hind legs, it roared loudly as if preparing to cut him to pieces with its massive claws. Roaring as if to say he was sick of the hobgoblin's failures. "You think you can do better? Go after them. I dare you," Carabis sneered at the bear.

It fell to all fours, roaring viciously. Apparently deciding Carabis wasn't worth the effort, it charged off into the forest. It was hunting…

Frozen

Hans didn't know where he was running. He heard nothing but the fires crackling around him as he raced from the cavern and into the forest. He ran and ran. The crackling was so loud, and the smell of smoke burned his nostrils. What was this madness? What was _he_?! He began to breathe quickly, closer to panic, and tried to bat out the flames on his arms before realizing it was futile. He sobbed, shaking his head. Oh god, what was he?

 _Are you even human, Hans? Or was it hell that spawned you?_

Anna's words ringing in his memory… No! He kept fleeing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he cried out. It took him a moment to process he was actually shouting it out loud instead of thinking it. It would be made right in death. It would be made right in death!

"Hans!" he heard her scream. Elsa.

"Go away. Please go away," he whimpered out loud. He didn't want to hear her voice. He didn't want to look into her eyes, to see her, to, to…

 _To need her…_

He saw the fires freezing around him as she tried to contain the damage being done to the forest. The damage _he_ was doing. The frozen fire… It was so very beautiful… Flames dancing in ice…

 _Like in the pendant she gifted you._

The pendant. Damn the pendant, damn the woman, damn everything! He reached up to rip it off… He couldn't… He couldn't bring himself to tear it from his neck.

 _Still she was alive, and her eyes sparkled like bright stars, but there was neither peace nor rest in their glance._

But there would be soon. When he was gone from her life forever.

 _I love you… I love you, I love you. Hear me scream it to the skies! I loved you and never did that love grow cold! I trusted you… I let you in where I let no one else in, and then all of this… Oh god!_

He couldn't tell, anymore, who was the one at fault.

 _You. Always you._

It didn't matter anymore, it didn't! It would end quickly enough. He broke from the forest. There ahead. A cliff.

 _Jump. End your misery. It will still be the ultimate victory._

"Hans!" she screamed again frantically. He gave a sob and stopped at the edge, looking down.

 _No… No… Don't..._

Consumed with emotions, feeling more lost than he'd ever felt before, he turned to her as the flames burned all around him. As the flames burned his masks away. All of them.

 _Burned us away? Oh no, we will_ _ **always**_ _be here. But it is up to you, as it has always been, how you wear us from this point on._

Elsa came to a stop, looking desperately at him with tears shining in her beautiful blue eyes. He hated the sadness and hurt and fear he saw in those eyes. He wanted to keep her safe from all those emotions that brought only pain and misery and regret! He wanted her suffering to end. He wanted to be the one to bring light into them, to make them dance with laughter… But he couldn't be...

 _There are no happily ever afters._

Frozen

"Elsa, please, no more. Let me go! Let it go! Can't you see there is nothing to save?!" Hans shouted at her.

"Get away from there," she said. "Come towards me, Hans. Come towards _me_."

 _Don't go closer to that ledge… Oh god, no, don't step back!_

"Hans!" she cried out, stepping forward and reaching out to him.

"No! No, go away. Just please. Please! You can't save me anymore. You never could. You can't save me, do you hear me? You can't save me!" Hans shouted.

"I won't let you go!" she screamed in fear and grief.

"There's nothing left to save, Elsa, nothing! Please… Please, I don't want to hurt you anymore. You or anyone!"

She remembered when she had spoken those words to Anna. Something similar, at least.

 _I'm only trying to protect you._

"You're hurting me _now_ ," she said, all but begging at this point. "If I lose you my heart will be broken."

"No more pain. No more lies and masks and treacheries. No more death and self- _hatred_!" Hans said, holding his head in his hands and shaking it frantically. "Please no more lies," he gasped out, sinking to his knees with a sob. "I'm so sick of the lies and the masks. I'm so tired of fighting! I can't fight this battle alone anymore, I _can't_."

"You aren't alone," she answered, carefully approaching him. On his knees, at least he couldn't jump. She wouldn't dare get closer any faster than this. Slowly. Slowly. The heat was so intense that it burned, and so she summoned an icy wind to blow around her to protect her from it. "I'm here. Can't you see me? I'm here."

"Stay away from me! Elsa, please! You're in too much danger!" Hans called. She had a very low tolerance for extreme heat, he knew, and gods only knew how intense the heat around him was. _He_ certainly couldn't tell, but the rocks beneath him… They were becoming red. Bordering on molten, maybe?

"I won't run. _Not_ from you. Not again," she replied, increasing the cold of the wind around her. Trees even far behind her were beginning to frost and creak in protest as the chill began to take over them. "No more of this sorrow, Hans. No more deceits, no more betrayals, no more standing alone."

"I bring you only death and pain… I don't want to bring you pain! Never again… But it's all I seem to do," he said half to himself and half to her. "Let me go… Please. Please let me go… Why don't you see that you can't save me?! Elsa, there is _nothing_ for you to hold onto anymore. You tried to find the man, you tried to free a heart you believed was frozen, but there was never any heart there for you to mine in the first place, don't you understand?! There is no heart to be mined! I betrayed you again and again and may yet betray you a thousand times more! Oh god, I am so sick of betrayal. I'm so sick of it."

"If there was no heart, you wouldn't regret anything you've done," she answered. "If there was no heart, I wouldn't be here now… And I will fight to mine it again and again and again, because I have _seen_ the sort of man that you are, even if you don't see him too, and he is _worth_ a second chance. And a third, and a fourth, and however many other chances it takes to make you understand that you are so much more than what you perceive. I want to make you understand. I want to show you how precious you are to me, to your brothers, to those who love you. I want you, _need_ you, to understand that you are worth so much to someone that they are willing to _die_ if only it means you can be at peace with yourself again instead of consumed by hatred and regret. I won't let you go, Hans, do you hear me? You are a _good_ man, and I won't let you go! If I lost you… Oh god, please don't let me lose you. Please."

He shook his head frantically, trying to shut her out but unable to… Then he felt her icy touch upon him and looked up with a gasp. She was cupping his face in her hands gently. Through tears she was begging him, but he couldn't hear her words. He didn't have to. He knew all that she was saying.

 _Don't be afraid… Don't leave me… Lean on me and let me be your strength when you don't believe you can do it anymore_

He cupped her face gently in turn, resting his forehead against hers with a breath as a pillar of ice and fire soared heavenward, intertwining and mingling into a spectacular sight.

 _Her touch soothed the fiery rivers that had become his blood, and the flames burning his body._

 _His touch chased away the ever present cold she had never thought she could escape…_

Frozen

He looked into her eyes and opened his mouth to speak… But then he saw _it_ walking from the forest... The bear, black and twisted and angry, the scars obvious against the midnight fur. His eyes widened. Without even a warning the bear charged! "Elsa move!" Hans cried out, throwing her to the side. The bear barrelled into him, clamping its massive jaws down on his collarbone and taking them both over the cliff as Hans cried out in terror and pain!

"Hans!" Elsa screamed, leaping towards the edge and forming an ice slide that slid into a small plateau before she could even fully think it through. Her priority was to keep the prince alive. Even if it meant keeping the bear alive too.

It was the bear that struck the ground first. For that, Hans was relived. The bear could survive a puny human landing on him, but _he_ wouldn't survive being a massive bear's cushion. He half suspected this bear had ensured it had struck fist, because at Hans's last understanding, the bear wanted, _needed_ , him alive. Not that it was unlikely the status quo had changed. Hans rolled across the ice and nearly slid off the edge, just barely managing to grab on. He struggled to pull himself back up as best he could, grimacing, and by some miracle managed the feat. Somehow, he doubted he was much better off. Slowly he looked up at the bear in steadily mounting fear. "Mor'du," he breathed.


	21. The Snow Queen Acts

The Snow Queen Acts

(A/N: Hidden H.C. Andersen quote in this one. See if you can find it.)

The massive bear stood, hardly fazed by the drop, and roared in what seemed to be rage, charging the prince. Hans caught his breath and drew his pistol, immediately firing into the creature. A flaming bullet departed the gun and struck the bear's forehead, making it roar in anguish and bat at its face to put out the flames. It was better than a normal bullet would be at least, Hans—more than a little surprised at the flaming bullet, but also immensely relieved—decided. Not that he believed even a bullet from a hunting rifle would stop this thing. Not if the stories of the curse's power were true. What was it? Only the strength of another bear would defeat him? Something like that, at least. Of course, guns were stronger than bears, but he doubted that's what the curse had meant. After all, this thing was technically undead anyway. It became apparent blindingly fast that the gun, flaming ammo or not, stood no chance. The bear leapt on him, knocking him to the ground and sending his pistol sliding away. He drew his sword and barely managed to get it up in time to block the massive jaws.

 _In its eyes he saw the outline of a man he couldn't make out but felt he knew…_

Scowling, Hans pulled back his sword then drove it, the white flame burning hot, into the mouth of the beast. It went right in and through the head. Mor'du froze, and for a moment Hans hoped he'd killed it after all. Slowly, though, it stood, pulling itself off the sword. Hans watched, eyes slowly widening in horror. All at once Mor'du roared and slashed with his massive claws, ripping long and deep gashes into the prince's side, stomach, and part of his back. Hans screamed in agony as blood poured from the wounds unchecked. The bear went for another blow, but Hans rolled out of the way and shot a fireball at it before trying to drag himself away from the creature. He looked at his hands in surprise. Wow. This could be handy. He might stand a chance despite the severe injuries from the bear's claws that were gushing blood at a rate that didn't bode well for him.

Hans staggered up and turned to face Mor'du, scowling. He couldn't keep burning for long. This plateau was ice, and the longer he used this power, wherever it had come from, the more it melted. He threw another fireball at his cursed ancestor, whichever ancestor that was, making Mor'du roar in anguish, staggering back and frantically pawing at his face. Hans thrust another, then another, and soon the bear was ablaze with fire. In anguish and rage is bellowed and charged despite burning alive. Hans's eyes widened in horror, his mouth agape. He felt like he was watching some unholy beast from the darkest depths of Hades. He cried out in agony as Mor'du tackled him, attempting to maul him to within an inch of his life. Hans frantically struggled to get free or burn it or _something_ , but Mor'du had him in a death grip now and it only took seconds before Hans realized that Mor'du had decided that if he was going down, he was bringing Hans with him.

"No!" Elsa's voice suddenly cried out as a powerful snow attack struck the creature, knocking it from Hans, although with the unfortunate side effect of putting out the flames that had burned off more than half its fur. Which, terrifyingly enough, made it look more horrific than it already did. The bear looked sharply back and roared furiously on seeing the Snow Queen descending in a flurry.

The moment she reached the ground, she sent out another attack at it. Mor'du roared, thrashing his head side to side, then charged her. Elsa caught her breath as it barrelled down. All at once Vertigo appeared with a vengeance, throwing himself into Mor'du and savagely ingraining his essence into the beast's mind. Mor'du lost all sense of balance, roaring in alarm as he staggered blindly, frantically trying to get his balance back before he ended up slipping right off the plateau! Vertigo, though, had no intentions of letting this go. Suddenly a whole side of the plateau Elsa had crafted crumbled, putting Mor'du right at the edge. Elsa looked up and saw the Ice Maiden, eyes narrowed, imposing her will. Mor'du gave a roar as he lost his balance at the edge and tumbled over, falling down, down, down, to the hard ground far below. The Ice Maiden hissed and dove after Mor'du in case something went wrong and Vertigo needed help.

Frozen

Heart pounding as she slowly processed the danger was gone, Elsa caught her breath and turned quickly to Hans, eyes wide. He wasn't moving! She raced to the young prince's side, sliding next to him. She gathered him into her arms a gazed at his injuries in shock and alarm. He was losing so much blood! Hans, painfully drawing in sharp gasps of air, looked up at her and swallowed tightly as he met her eyes.

 _Will you mourn the monster, Snow Queen? Gods I hope not. I'm not worth your pain._

He was bleeding, suffering. His eyes were starting to glaze as he clung tightly to her. She felt his grip weakening as he struggled to stay alive. His hand reached up, fingertips lightly brushing her cheek. He swallowed painfully. She shook her head. "Don't," she whispered to him.

"Ah love… It is a wonderful thing to play with, don't you think? And among the best methods of torture, I believe," a voice, Carabis's, said in a garbled tone that was only very slowly recovering. The hobgoblin, maimed and bloodied but determined to the point of self-destruction, began stalking towards them. Elsa hardly registered the danger she was in.

"Don't go," the queen pled to the prince. "Hold on… Please…" Hans met her eyes and swallowed. His body was becoming limp… But he was nothing if not a fighter, and she felt in his grip that he wasn't willing to let go yet. Not like this.

"This is where love got you," Carabis hissed. "You and the Ice Maiden both."

Elsa, shaking, looked back towards Carabis. Her shaking was no longer from emotion or fear, though… Now she shook with rage against this creature, this _thing_ , who had stepped from some nightmarish story book and into their lives. This thing… this thing would not take anything more from her. Gently she turned to Hans, laying him on the ground and pressing her hand to his body, forming an ice covering over the gashes. He was no longer conscious, she noted. "Be here when I come back," she whispered to him. With that, she rose. She turned to the evil hobgoblin and saw surprise fill Carabis's eyes. Good… Then she must be quite the sight to behold indeed.

Frozen

Carabis stared in shocked disbelief at the woman before him. Shock slowly started to become something akin to fear, and he moved back before he could stop himself. The icy force standing in front of him suddenly seemed so much more terrifying. Her eyes… They had become white and blank, and suddenly it wasn't a woman he was looking at. It was a ghostly apparition cloaked in a snow and ice so heavy you could only barely make out she was a woman at all. Immediately Elsa sent forth a howling, stinging wind at the evil hobgoblin, cutting off his vision and hearing immediately. Swiftly she moved through the snow at a rapid rate, as if she were a part of it, covering the distance between her and the figure of the twisted sprite-like being.

Carabis had expected the Ice Maiden and Vertigo to come find him. He had been prepared for the _Ice_ Maiden's retribution, not the Snow Queen's. The Ice Maiden controlled only ice. The Snow Queen, though… _She_ controlled every aspect of winter there was to control… Within reason. When Vertigo and the Ice Maiden hadn't come to enact vengeance on him, he'd gone to seek _them_. He'd arrived in time to watch them take Mor'du off of the plateau and send him tumbling down to the earth far below. Now he was facing the woman he wasn't ready to face, and he may have been determined, but he wasn't stupid. Growling in anger, he prepared to vanish while the escaping was good. He was weakened enough as it was. He didn't dare try his luck against this spectacle.

Before he could flee, something struck him. He cried out in pain and alarm, toppling to the ground. He tried to recover, but barely managed. All he managed to process was the face of the one attacking her. The Snow Queen! When and how had she gotten _there_?! Elsa, moving back once more in an almost ghostly manner—were her feet even touching the ground, Carabis almost wondered?—quickly summoned two snow beasts that roared in fury and struck the hobgoblin from behind. They were easily destroyed and broken by a spell, but they regenerated quickly in the blizzard that fed them. The evil troll fought desperately with all he had, forcing them back as best he could while also trying to find Elsa amidst the snow and the smoke that still hung in the air from that unnatural forest fire that had sprung up in the prince's wake, but that was slowly being extinguished by the Snow Queen's will.

"You will pay dearly, if you have taken him from me. You may be some unnatural amalgamation from the realms of the Fair Folk, but I am the Snow Queen! And you have taken something of mine, so you will suffer the consequences of your audacity," she said in a tone far darker than he could have ever imagined coming from her mouth. Again and again assault after assault was hurled at him from all angles until he couldn't even tell anymore from which direction the attack was coming or where the woman assailing him was. Then suddenly he realized he couldn't move.

What? What was this?! Snow. Snow that was enveloping him in a tomb! It wouldn't hold him long, but it would hold him fast for the time he was trapped. "Damn you, Snow Queen! Damn you!" he viciously shouted. "I will be free again, do you hear me? I will be free again!"

"I look forward to it," the Snow Queen answered, appearing in front of him. He bellowed in rage once more as the snow covered over his head, entombing him within. Then and only then did Elsa let the blizzard disperse, when her enemy was so deeply buried that there would be no getting out for a good long while. Strange… Usually after expending such raw power she was drained. This time? This time she didn't feel it at all. All she felt was a sense of urgency.

 _The prince…_

Frozen

The Snow Queen caught her breath and looked sharply towards Hans. After a moment, she approached him, kneeling at his side and leaning over him. Her powers died down until she appeared normal once more. Sorrow filled her gaze, and gently she reached out, brushing a hand lightly over his cheek. His skin was so hot that it almost burned to touch… Gently she began to cool the fevered flesh. "Open your eyes," she whispered. "You're safe now… Open them… Please…" No response. She swallowed and rested her forehead against his. "I want to thank you. For everything you've done for me. For the courage you gave me, for all that you helped me to become when I felt I could go no further. Thank you… For all of it. For more than you'll ever know. Maybe more than even _I'll_ ever know… You made me feel powerful again. Free again. I thought I was free before…"

"It's you who deserves to be given all the thanks and praise in the world. For what you did for me. For my brothers. For all of us. For what you showed us, for what you helped us become," she heard him answer. She looked down at him hopefully. His eyes opened exhaustedly, resting on her then closing again as he winced, cringing in pain.

"Shh, be calm," she said.

"Everything I am is because of you. Everything I will ever be is because of you," he said, meeting her gaze once more. She sniffed again, smiling at him gently. He raised his hand, gently brushing his fingertips over her cheek. "I wish you would let me go," he said.

"But I won't. Never ask me to again…" she replied. "I… I love you…"

"Why?" he asked. "Why do you love me?"

"Because I have seen who you truly are. Because I have seen how you have changed for the better and fought to be so much more than the traitor prince. I love you because I have read your stories, and in them I see your whole soul and heart bared in all its complexities and nuances… You are a storybook that could be read for all eternity, and I would still learn from it and grow and find layer after layer within. I love you because you have shown me more within my heart than I knew was there, and for so many other things… I love you." He swallowed over a tightening in his throat and turned away. She felt her heart sink. "Don't look away from me like that. Please don't look away. Do you really hate me so much?"

"I wish I still hated you… Hatred is so much simpler. Hatred hurts so much less…" he answered. He looked up at her. "But even when I try, even when I fight to despise you, I can't… Not anymore… Because at some point I stopped despising you, and I don't even know when or how. I can't even fathom."

"And now?" she asked.

He was quiet, watching her. "I love you…" he heard himself say before he could stop himself. "I love you."

"Why do you love me, Hans?" she questioned.

He closed his eyes. "If you looked down to the bottom of my soul, you would understand fully the source of my longing and pity me. Even the open, transparent lake has its unknown depths, which no divers know…" he said.

"Hans…" she whispered.

"I love you because you are everything I'm not. You are what brings out the best in me. Everything I am now and will ever be from here on is because of you. I've worn so many masks that I forgot who I was long ago… But he called out for you, and before I knew it, for your sake he began to return to me. I am whole once more. I'm no longer a stranger to myself. For love of you, I found my heart again."

She bent, pressing her lips to his. After a moment she drew back, running her fingers through his hair. "Don't go. Not now. We have a wedding to plan, remember?" she said with an attempt at a teasing smile.

"You would still have me after all of this? You're a mad woman, I think," he replied, grinning weakly back at her.

"I am," she answered. Gently she lifted and cradled his body close to her chest. She heard his brothers calling his name and she dared believe that maybe now everything would be okay…

Frozen

His siblings, when they had seen their brother's flight and the flames that had grown in its wake and consumed him, had been stunned. As had Kristoff. The moment they pulled Elsa and Hans back up onto solid ground and stabilized their brother, questions poured. "Where the hell did that even come from?!" Franz demanded of Hans, who was quickly becoming flustered.

"Where on earth would you have even _gotten_ fire powers?!" Rhun demanded. "It's not like anyone in our ancestry was super powered!"

"I don't know!" Hans insisted. "I have no clue what happened to me!"

"The mirror?" Kelin-Sel asked.

"Impossible. That isn't within its abilities," Hans answered.

"Vertigo?!" Kelin-Sel asked.

"The heck does vertigo have to do with fire?" Connyn bit sharply.

"Perhaps it came about in you the same way my powers came about in me," Lars said.

"The troll itself?" Moren questioned.

"When he cursed me with dark magic, and told me I would pay for my refusing him, he said also that I wouldn't be the only one to suffer. That another brother would suffer for my defiance as well," Mael stated. "He never specified how. I went to father and told him what had happened, and in probably the last act of goodness the man ever did in his life, he left to hunt Carabis down. Maybe our father stopped him before he could fully ingrain the curse in Hans, and that's why it didn't spring to life until Vertigo's immortal power, fueling a mortal body that was polluted by the evil mirror, awakened it"

"But this is only one possible explanation?" Iscawin said.

"Yes. I don't know where he got his powers from. I have only theory," Mael answered. They'd probably never truly know. Well, unless one of their guesses turned out to be right of course.

"Perhaps mother had her own dark secrets," Calcas quietly said, saddened to remember their mother.

"Another possibility," Mael agreed. "Maybe she wasn't born with powers herself, but perhaps she had some experience in mystical arts and seeing Hans's vulnerability decided to try and save her favorite."

"I was not mother's…" Hans began.

"Yes, Hans, you _were_ her favorite," Justic slightly bitterly cut off. "You were because she believed to her dying day that if any of us could be saved, it was you. She'd given the rest of us up for lost long ago." Hans was quiet.

"Come, Hans. I think you and I have some things to talk about. In regards to controlling and harnessing your powers," Mael said, looking at his little brother.

"I suppose I'm now your newest pupil?" Hans said.

Mael smirked slightly. "Welcome to your first day of class," he answered. Hans sighed but nodded, following his brother away from the others...

Frozen

Elsa watched as Hans walked in the forest with Lars, discussing what had happened. She watched the prince form a fireball in his hand and watch it burn. She almost resented how certain he was in his control of them. He had only just learned they existed and suddenly he was an expert?

 _He has been adapting his whole life. He has fought to control every aspect of all he is since infancy. This is only another obstacle for the chameleon prince to overcome. He will overcome it. He always does._

Soon Lars squeezed his brother's shoulder and the two disappeared from sight. "Wow. Who would have thunk it? Hans has _fire_ powers," Kristoff said in amazement, still hardly able to register this news.

"Thunk?" Elsa incredulously asked.

"It's a word! Well, kind of," Kristoff said.

Elsa smirked. "Whatever you say, Kristoff," she replied. Her smile fell as she recalled the books she'd read in Weselton. Shifting uneasily she turned to Moren. "Caleb?" she asked. He turned to her. "I… I want to know about the things you and your brothers did. From _your_ mouths and not from books. I want to understand."

Caleb tensed. After a moment he sighed, muscles relaxing. "You found some interesting little tomes, I see," he said. She was quiet. He turned to her. "It's so much easier to judge by what things appear to be on the surface."

"It helped me face you all down… Though apparently that was about the biggest mistake I could have made," she answered. "I'd done judging by what things appear to be on the surface." If she had, Hans would have been dead and buried _long_ ago.

Caleb nodded, thinking. "What were some of the things you read that most stood out?" he asked.

"The burning of an orphanage," she said.

Caleb was quiet. "Hans has always had a soft spot for children," he remarked after a moment.

"Even at his worst the last things he would ever have raised a hand against were little ones," Jürgen backed, nodding.

"During a routine 'tax collecting'…" Moren began.

"Hear 'purge'," Franz dryly cut off.

Moren gave his sibling a look then turned to Elsa again. "During his first little venture against a family, a child was killed along with his parents at the hands of our men," Moren said.

"Hans went into a state of shock. I swear the poor wretch nearly entered hysteria. Fortunately for him, I was there," Jürgen said. "And I'd seen more than my share of death of men, women, and children all. I managed to calm him and spare him the torture session that would have been his if father had learned of any sort of panic on Hans's part."

"From that point on, Hans made it his personal mission to ensure every child they happened to come across during a purge was brought to him alive. He never told the men what he did with them, but it wasn't hard for us to find out," Coth declared. "Namely Jürgen, who then shot off his mouth to father."

"I didn't expect him to order the orphanage burned!" Jürgen insisted immediately. "I tried to talk him out of it, dammit! I tried!"

"Turns out Hans had been stashing away the little ones in the orphanage for safekeeping, and when father discovered it…" Connyn began. He trailed off. He didn't have to continue.

"He sent three of us to deal with the matter. So we did. But not before taking a page from Hans's book. We managed to spirit away about a third of the orphans before it was too late. Rescue them and send them somewhere safe where father would never find them. We didn't tell Hans that, but we didn't need to."

"He found it out through Caleb's journal. Which fortunately enough he stumbled upon while in the middle of plotting fratricide for the burning of the orphanage," Rhun said. "So Caleb got to live another day."

"The family of the man who wrote the book 'The Wicked Prince'?" Elsa asked.

"The book was found by the royal family. Father ordered the man executed and sent Hans off to carry it out. Instead, our brother gave the man a sum of money and five minutes to run with his family like hell itself was on his heels. Hans uttered the simple threat that if the man wasn't far enough away that Hans couldn't track him, in that time, then he and all those he loved would perish. Not that Hans searched hard for them," Kelin-Sel stated. "I think he was impressed with how gutsy the man was... Pretty sure he's working on his own variation of _The Wicked Prince_ now. In story format." He'd been keeping a particular manuscript under lock and key lately.

"Don't believe all the evil we did had a secret motive behind it. Sometimes the evil we did was just that. Evil with no redeeming quality to it," Iscawin stated. "And yes, Hans _was_ the worst of all."

Frozen

Elsa was quiet, looking towards the forest. "It doesn't matter now," she finally said. "That man is gone. The men _all_ of you once were are gone. Now you're free to move forward. Have you changed the opinions of your people, my lords?"

Caleb was quiet. "More than we ever thought we could… In no small part thanks to you and Anna," he answered, turning to her with a soft smile.

Elsa nodded, smiling back. Her smile soon fell to a serious expression. "I'm sorry… About your families. Everything you lost because of… I'm so sorry…" she said. Jürgen closed his eyes tightly, swallowing painfully as he was reminded that when he went home, he wouldn't be greeted by his wife and his children swarming around him. Only Madeline and Cameron. There would be no true joy in his reuniting with them because all any of them would be able to think of was all they'd lost.

Duach closed his eyes tightly, swallowing. He could hear her laughter in his memory, see her eyes gazing into his… She had been dropping hints about starting a family, he knew. He'd played stupid for so long… And then he'd begun to consider it, and then… then she was gone… Rhun was stoic, gazing ahead at nothing; just willing away the tears he felt threatening his eyes for his lost children and his wife… He needed to go home and hug his last remaining child, little Anne, so tightly she'd hardly be able to breathe anymore… And Moren? The King closed his eyes tightly, damning the agony he felt tearing through him. To know that he would never see two thirds of his children again… The thought was almost too much for him to take. To know they'd screamed for him… He'd failed them… He'd failed them so miserably… What could he tell his three remaining little ones anymore? He half wondered if his oldest would ever speak to him again... He dreaded facing them and telling them their siblings were all gone...

"I wish that I could bring them back," a voice said. The Princes, Kristoff, Elsa, and the King quickly turned, catching their breath. There appeared the Ice Maiden, gazing at them expressionlessly.

"You!" Jürgen furiously shot, nearly lunging at her. Fortunately, the triplets caught him. "You killed them! You killed my babies, my _wife_! Lucile, David, Kenan, Abigail, you killed them all!"

"I froze them all. Yes," the Ice Maiden answered, observing the grieving father and husband silently. "But killed…?" She trailed off and looked upwards. After a moment, she faced Jürgen again. "That's another matter entirely."

Meilic tensed, eyes widening. Wait… " _What_?" he asked in a whisper.

"I cannot bring back the children of your brothers, or their wives. I wish that I could, but it was at Carabis's hands that they died. I hold no power over them, for my kiss never touched them… But yours… At my hand they froze to death, and at my hand they can be revived. You need only say the word. I will take the sunbeams with me and we will reach into their tombs. I will do what I can to withdraw my icy curse, and the sunbeams will kiss them to life. You can hold your children in your arms again. Your wife." She turned to the others. "But as for the rest of you… I'm so, so sorry. There's nothing I can do, any of us. We aren't gods." She turned back to Jürgen. "You need only say the word, and I will try," she repeated. Jürgen was silent, pale.

(A/N: And here is where I give my readers/reviewers a choice of whether or not I should write the bittersweet ending the Ice Maiden offered. Up to you how the next chapter opens.

Also, if you have theories regarding the origin of Hans's fire powers, I'd love to hear them.)


	22. There's Beauty and There's Danger Here

There's Beauty and There's Danger Here

(A/N: Fair **warning** , mildly descriptive sex scene this chapter. Usually I want to try and avoid writing them because I hate, absolutely hate, reading or writing graphic language, plus I really don't have any idea what I'm talking about either anyway - most readers probably know full well how it works regardless and the whole process, needless to say this goes on longer than I write it to appear - so when I write sex scenes they usually focus on the basics and let the reader imagination run wild in whatever direction it wants, while I describe the emotions happening over the physical pleasure happening. The emotion seems the more important aspect to it anyway. Let me know how I did regardless, though. Also, another hidden H.C. Andersen quote in this chapter.)

Stunned, Jürgen finally managed to let out a shaky gasp, placing a hand to his forehead. He closed his mouth and swallowed. "You can… you can really bring them back?" he asked in a whisper.

"I can try," she answered. In theory she could without difficulty. In practice? She would soon see. Never had someone kissed by her, and then revived by the sunbeams, been gone for as long as Meilic's family had been. But she had frozen them so solidly that no decay would have even started happening yet.

"I can't… you… Oh gods!" he said, covering his mouth as a million emotions spun around in his head and heart. She could bring them back. She could bring his babies and his wife back! But… but his brothers… He looked at those who had lost their own families. They were pale. They looked ill and broken and anguished and grieved, because he had a chance to hold his wife and children again, and they…? They didn't… Could he do such a selfish thing as this to them, anymore? Once, yes, but now…? It killed him inside to see the grief reflected in their expressions… But he wanted his babies back… He wanted them back so bad that it ached, and yet… yet to know that they couldn't have theirs… Oh god… He didn't want to hurt them. He wanted to see them happy again. Once upon a time he wouldn't have, but now…

"Do it," Rhun, Rudi, said to him suddenly.

Jurgen turned to his brothers quickly. "Don't hold back for our sakes, brother," Runo agreed. "You won't get this chance again. Take it and cling to it for all you're worth."

"We won't begrudge you that mercy," Rudi agreed. In fact, if they'd been given the choice rather than Jürgen, odds were that _they_ would have taken it _too_. "We couldn't… They're our family too…"

"I don't… I don't want to see you in pain," Jürgen said.

"That isn't argument enough to refuse this offer and you know it," Caleb stated. "You've already made your choice. You don't need to try and talk yourself out of it for our sakes."

"Well, pirate king?" the Ice Maiden said.

Jürgen turned to her. "Yes. Bring them back. Bring back my wife and children, please!" he begged.

The Ice Maiden bowed her head. "It will not make up for all I've done, but at least it will be something… When you return home, they will be there," she stated. With that, she vanished. And hoped that the sunbeams were going to be finished having their way with their husbands soon so that she wouldn't end up _breaking_ her promise to Meilic.

Jurgen gasped and raced straight to his horse. It would be a day or two to make it back to the castle. He wasn't going to wait for even a moment. His brothers could catch up, if they weren't ready to move now. Immediately he galloped off at top speed. Swiftly his siblings scrambled to get things together to go after him.

Frozen

It seemed forever before finally he, they, arrived back home. He leapt from his horse before it could even stop. It had been with utmost reluctance he'd stopped even once. He hadn't wanted to sleep, he'd wanted to ride straight through without any pause, but his brothers hadn't allowed him to push himself or his poor horse to exhaustion. He was still annoyed at them for that. He raced towards the palace as quickly as he could.

"The poem 'The Highwayman' comes to mind," Rhun remarked, watching their brother go. He slid from his own horse's back and walked quickly away.

"Where are you going?" Justic asked.

"I need to see my daughter and hold her tight and never let her go," Rhun answered hollowly. He needed to do this because maybe, just maybe, holding his little one near would help him see and feel and understand that he hadn't lost everything. She was still there. It was a cold comfort, one child of all four of his little ones plus his wife, left to him, but it was what he had. And damn him if he didn't cherish every moment he had with her. Damn him if he didn't cherish the fact that she, at least, was still alive… Also damn any man who tried to take his daughter from him, but that wasn't going to be for another decade or two so for now the young men of the Isles were safe.

The rest of the brothers followed Jürgen. Rhun would soon arrive too, they knew, with Anne. She had been asking about her cousins and Rhun hadn't had the heart, as of yet, to tell her they were dead. Now it seemed he wouldn't have to. At least not for Jürgen's. But for the others… Enough said.

Frozen

Jürgen threw open the doors to the castle, racing towards the nursery. That was where they would be, right? If they'd been revived and had seen the sunbeams and the Ice Maiden, and had spoken to them? First Abigail would have raced to find Madeline and Cameron. She would have embraced her children, and Kenan and Madeline would have been clambering all over one another sobbing in joy, then all of the would be, and all would have been well!

 _But what if the Ice Maiden was not able to succeed…?_

His heart shuddered to think of it. Could he bear that anguish, if it were so? Yes. He would have to. For Madeline and Cameron, he would have to bear it. "Abigail!" he found himself shouting before he'd even reached the nursery. "Abigail, answer me, please! Abby!" He reached the nursery door and threw it open!

His heart dropped into his stomach. It was empty. Empty and as cold as it had been when… Tears burned his eyes and he covered his mouth, shutting them tightly and shaking his head in denial. "Meilic?" a voice, almost frightened but also hopeful, said. _Her_ voice. He gasped, slowly looking ahead at nothing. Quickly he spun around and saw her exiting from the library, clothed in a robe with her hair hanging loose. She was so beautiful… He gave a strangled cry and tore across the distance separating them, seizing her in his arms and spinning her around in the air kissing her. The moment her feet touched the ground again he collapsed to his knees, holding her tightly and sobbing without restraint. Tears burned in her eyes. "Shh, darling, shh… I'm here," she soothed gently, swallowing over a painful lump in her throat and gently combing her fingers through his hair. "I'm here my love," she said again, voice breaking as she sniffed, wiping her eyes. He looked up at her, such anguish and desperation in his expression… She sobbed, falling to the ground in front of him and kissing him adoringly. "I'm here, baby, I'm here." He was too overwhelmed with emotion to speak. Instead he just clung to her so tightly that she could have sworn no force in heaven or on earth could have pulled him from her."

"Daddy?" a voice asked. He sharply looked up. Apparently _this_ kind of force was on a whole different level from heaven and earth.

He gave a cry. Lucile! He leapt at his eldest daughter enveloping her in his arms. She broke down crying. "Daddy!" he heard David scream.

"Daddy!" Kenan chimed immediately after as both little boys leapt across the room and tackled him to the ground, clinging to him desperately. Still he could find no words. All he could do was hold them near smothering them with kisses and holding them so tightly they couldn't even hope to squirm from his arms. It wasn't long before he heard himself promising them he'd never let them go again, and then their uncles were there. The princes of the Isles joyfully embraced their sister in law and their nieces and nephews. Elsa and Kristoff, tears in their eyes, moved silently away from the group, leaving the brothers to their joyous reunion. But the moment opportunity finally presented itself, Elsa swore to herself she would run to Abigail and give her the biggest hug she'd ever given _anyone_ who wasn't her sister…

Frozen

It had taken a long, long time for things to calm down enough for Elsa to make good on her promise to herself and go to Abigail. She'd held her friend tightly and the two had wept for joy. A little while after, Jürgen had found his way back to his wife and taken her into his arms as if he would never let her go again. They had gone into the nursery where their children had been put to bed with Rhun's little daughter. It was Abigail and her children's time to grieve the lost sisters-in-law and their little ones. It had been very hard for the children to hear of their cousins' demise, and their aunts, but they would make it through.

 _The way Meilic had held Abigail in his arms…_

Elsa had never wondered, until that moment, what it would be like to feel a man hold her in the way the pirate had held his lady fair… She turned attention back to the garden, where she was watching silently as Hans walked through it under the moonlight, reflecting on all the events that had transpired. Every so often he would try out his powers and gaze in silent wonder at the flames dancing in the palm of his hand. She wanted to go to him…

 _So what's stopping you?_

Drawing a breath, she formed an icy staircase down from her balcony and stepped onto it, making her way to the garden to meet him. He looked over as she approached, and a look came to his eyes that she couldn't explain. Longing, revering… He bowed to her cordially. She curtseyed in turn and they both stood up straight, meeting one another's eyes. "Everything I am is because of you," he said after a long silence.

"You aren't alone in that," she answered. His gaze softened. He approached and took her hands in his.

"Dance with me," he whispered to her.

"I don't dance," she answered with a smirk.

"With me you do," he said, smirking back. She smiled. That she did, she inwardly admitted. In the garden, caught up in their own music, they danced and swayed under the moonlight. As they finished, they remained in each other's arms, her back against his body as he held her near while they watched out over the ocean. "I must face the consequences of my treachery," he said to her after a time. She was quiet. "This time I won't let you protect me. You _or_ my brothers. I can't keep escaping punishment for my choices."

"You've been punished enough," she answered.

"I will face the consequences," he repeated. "I… I would have married you, my lady…"

"Would have?" she asked softly.

"I know that death will be the outcome," he said, and she felt her heart shudder in her breast. "There is no use in a marriage if I will be gone soon anyway."

"Death will _not_ be the outcome," she answered.

"Elsa…" he began.

"You've done so much more good than you know… Not only for me and my sister and Kristoff, but for my people… Even after your initial betrayal they praised your actions during the freeze. Many went so far as to claim they would've died without you there. They still remember. Death isn't a guarantee. And even if it is, give me this. Please. Even if only for a very little while," she said.

Hans was quiet. "As my lady commands," he soon answered. "Even if I should be only one night at your side, I'll give this to you." Gently he pressed his lips to her neck and she tilted her head, relishing in the feel.

 _His lips burned like coals…_

For more than one reason now, she realized.

"I wish we could have the ceremony you desired," Hans said.

"It was what was expected. Who's to say it was what I wanted?" she asked.

"You certainly seemed enthusiastic about it," he replied.

"In a way… We'll have it eventually. When this is all said and done, and you've been absolved of your wrongs, it'll happen," she said.

"Elsa…" he began, about to protest.

"No. Not this time. I won't see you killed," she said. "Don't try to insist you _will_ be."

"Alright," he relented, letting it go. "Alright."

Frozen

It was to an obscure village on the Isles that they stole away with Hans's brothers, though not poor Kristoff who'd been out like a log. Or Jürgen or Rhun for that matter, both of which had remained with Jürgen's family and little Anne in the nursery. Elsa felt bad about it, but if all went as planned, Kristoff, Jürgen, Rudi, Abigail, and all the children would get to be part of the 'big wedding' anyway. The village was a quaint place, not too small and not too large. It had been largely untouched by the past tyranny of the royal family. Not even the old king had turned his gaze to it often, for it had been the old queen's place of birth; and even when the mirror had consumed him, the king would still listen to the voice of his wife. She often had found herself begging him not to hurt the people there.

The people of this village kept to themselves. The princes went unknown say for through word of mouth, but even still there was fear when they arrived all together. In all lands the cruelty of the royal family of the Southern Isles was whispered of. However, there was also awe and hope among the people of this hamlet. Awe to see their king and his brothers personally come to them. Awe to hear the youngest prince was engaged to the queen of Arendelle. Hope that this alliance would keep them safe. The whole of the village was present for the marriage, little more than an exchanging of vows and an official signing, and when it was done the prince and queen stole away, boarded Elsa's icy sleigh, and off it raced over the sea towards the stronghold deep in the mountains of Arendelle. The rest of the princes, for their parts, faded away back to their home like ghosts, and no one knew where they had gone or when they had left. Kristoff would find his own way back to Arendelle soon enough.

Frozen

The prince and queen rode up to the ice castle in silence. Climbing out of the sleigh, Hans reached up for Elsa. She smiled at him and leapt out the other side teasingly. He blinked then smirked. "You aren't proving anything, you know," he said.

"I know," she replied, walking towards the castle. "I just wanted to tease you." She was already kind of regretting it too. It would have been sweet to have him lift her down. Next time, she told herself.

"Will you not even let me carry you over the threshold?" he asked with a grin.

She smiled, pausing. "Is that not reserved for the home we'll live in?" she asked. He was quiet. Her smile faded. She knew what the silence meant. For all they knew this _would_ be the only home they would ever share. "I'm waiting, Hans," she said, putting on the smile again. He smirked and approached her, scooping her up in his arms. She smiled amusedly at him.

Frozen

As they entered, she waved her hand, shutting the doors behind them. He glanced back then turned to her. She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and softly kissing his lips. And not for a moment did she hesitate. This was it. There were no more restraints. There was no reason to hold back anymore. He was her husband, she was his wife, and nothing anymore limited what they could do to one another…

The kiss ended and he set her down before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her nearer to him, kissing her again. Drawing away, she rested her head against his as he held and swayed her gently. If this was all he ever had of her for as long as they lived, to hold her in his arms like this if only for a while, he would be content, he realized. He would want for nothing else. He would be content… He kissed her head gently, softly stroking the back of her neck. She lifted her face, kissing him another time. His hand gently followed her braid down her back and pulled off the tie holding its base. She drew away, looking up at him with a glance that had him suddenly feeling weak in the knees. He toyed with her hair softly, undoing it from its braid so it would hang loose. He liked the feel of his fingers in her hair, he realized, and if her grin was anything to go by, so did she. She pressed her lips to his again and again. Breaking from kisses, gently they nuzzled noses.

 _This is happening. This is real…_

He covered her lips another time, unable to resist the desire to feel them pressed to his. She parted them slightly, timidly, and gently he teased the inside of her mouth. Perhaps it would put her at ease a bit. She shivered, giving a soft sound and pressing herself closer to his body, parting her lips a bit more in a silent plea for him to do it again. This time she also attempted to play the game. If the way his grip on her tightened was any indicator, she was doing well for a first time. Soon they pulled apart. "Who taught _you_ to kiss, virgin prince?" she questioned with a teasing tone.

"Jealous? Suspicious?" he asked, smirking.

"Curious," she answered.

"Mmm… My brothers. Mostly Franz," he replied. Wait. Oh shi… "Verbally! Not-not physically. I mean it wasn't like he and I…" Hans quickly began to stammer, realizing how that sounded.

"Hans, shut up and kiss me again," Elsa said, grinning wickedly at him, loving how brightly he was flushing.

"Y-yeah, r-right," he agreed. That was probably a good idea about now. He began to relax as she kissed him once more. Quickly enough he'd recovered himself enough to return it.

 _"_ _Alright little brother, sit down, shut up, and pay attention. Put that book down, what are you, a drip? That's better. Now get ready for this. I'm going to teach you how to kiss like a man."_

 _"_ _What? I'm not even seeing anyone! And I don't plan on it anytime soon either."_

 _"_ _Oh please, Lars told me you were asking about the mysterious crown princess of Arendelle. Now, first things first…"_

Inwardly Hans smirked at the memory. It had been the first time he'd had a decent conversation with Neb in years. Putting it out of mind, he focused wholly on Elsa. She was catching on quickly.

Frozen

It felt like time had slowed around them, like suddenly the whole world was captured in a dream-like state. They stood by the frosted window in the bedroom, now, speaking quietly to one another and whispering gentle or reassuring words. Solemn, dignified, those were perhaps the terms to use to describe their interactions. Solemn and dignified and longing. He slipped the gown from off of her shoulders and his fingers brushed tenderly over one, tracing her arm. Her own fingers traced patterns softly against his chest, frost spreading lightly and causing him to shiver. A warmth spread down her arm and she inhaled deeply. Every touch and caress spoke volumes without a word needing to be said. They could well have carried out a conversation by touch alone.

 _Are you afraid of me, Snow Queen?_

 _Not in the way you fear. If I were afraid, I wouldn't stand before you now._

 _I will be content with what we have had. I will not ask you for more. I couldn't._

 _No more fear, Chameleon Prince. I want this. All of this._

"If any part of you hesitates…" Hans began.

"I think that perhaps _you're_ more frightened than _me_ ," she answered, letting the dress slip the rest of the way off of her body. She didn't look at him, staring down shyly.

 _She had never stood like this before a man. Not of free will or of want._

She heard him whisper something under his breath and smiled to herself, turning her eyes up to him. He flushed and almost felt like he should look away. He very nearly told himself this wasn't proper. Until remembering that it was. It was, and there was no further need to restrain himself from her.

 _This sight is only for you. From here on in, forevermore, this sight is yours and yours alone. She will never show herself like this to another as long as you both live._

"I'm afraid I won't be as much a treat," he remarked, looking her over.

"I wouldn't bank on it," she answered, eying his already bare chest. He smirked in amusement and nuzzled her lightly, smile falling again to the more solemn look.

"You're right… I _am_ afraid," Hans whispered gently, rubbing his forehead against hers.

"You don't need to be," she answered, gently tracing his beltline.

"Courageous and beautiful Snow Queen, I worry that at my bravest I couldn't compare to you," he murmured. She smiled, pleased by his flattery. He took her lips gently and allowed her to 'help' remove his trousers. And they stood, bodies pressed near to one another, as near as they could be, foreheads gently touching and eyes closed as they stood just relishing in one another's nearness and drawing strength and assurance from the reality of that presence.

"Maybe there's fear in me too… Not of you, just…" Elsa began.

"Shh… I know, nightingale. It doesn't have to be tonight. If we share in nothing more than this, and only lay in one another's arms the whole night through just to become accustomed to each other's presence, I will be content and happy… Oh beautiful, powerful Snow Queen, if this came to be a dream I don't think I could bear it," he said to her gently.

"This isn't a dream," she answered, drawing him to the bed and sitting on it with him, curled up and keeping contact between their foreheads. She wanted to feel his warm breath against her skin. A constant reminder he was alive. That he was still here. Gently she traced the deep scars left by Mor'du and inwardly shuddered at the memory. If he had died there… No, no more. She hadn't lost him. She never would.

Frozen

Softly he nuzzled her, hand leisurely rubbing up and down her thigh and waist. "You have become my thinking's single thought, my heart's first love. It had _no_ love before. I love you as no love on earth is wrought. I love you now and love you evermore," he whispered to her.

She threw herself into his arms without a word, in response; tossing her arms about his neck and kissing him longingly. He fell back and held her near to him, returning her kiss just as adoringly before finally they pulled apart to catch their breath. He let out a breath and looked up into her eyes. Gently he reached up, stroking her cheek and temple. She trembled at his touch and his heart skipped a beat. He drew her near again, pressing his lips to hers a second time. After a moment, they drew apart and she lay on his chest, relishing in the sound of his beating heart. He wrapped her tightly in his embrace. Nothing needed to happen tonight. He hardly thought he would even _want_ it to. Just the feeling of her there, just knowing she was here… He could be like this forever… Should Ragnarok fall tonight, he would have no regrets.

He listened to her breathing, steady and even. She'd drifted to sleep, secure in his arms. In _his_ arms. She felt safe and comfortable enough in his arms to drift asleep, and he couldn't understand it because surely he was the _last_ person she would ever feel so secure with. Yet here was proof of the opposite. She felt at ease with him. Maybe not safe, but at ease. She _trusted_ him. He didn't know whether to damn that trust she felt or thank it, he just knew that it meant everything to him. More than she would ever know. Carefully he rolled over, gently moving her onto the bed at his side, and kept his arms firmly around her.

So there she lay, wrapped in his arms in a lover's knot. She was asleep now, and he… He watched her in silence, softly stroking her hair and hardly daring to believe that this was happening. That he could possibly be so honored as to have, through some miracle he still didn't understand, been graced with her love. He pressed his lips against her skin longingly, his grip around her body tightening.

 _Nightingale and Snow Queen, I do not ever want to let you go. I cannot let you go._

As he gazed out the window of the balcony outside the room, he stroked her hair softly and sobered. Tomorrow he went to Arendelle to face whatever trial and punishment would come of his betrayal.

 _It will be death… It will be death and you will never see her again… She will marry again…_

There were so very few young men and women who vowed never to love again if their beloved died young. He wished with all his heart that she would be one of those few, but he knew he could never ask that of her. The entirety of her life lay before her. How could he let himself wish she would never find anyone else?

 _Because if you lost_ _ **her**_ _, there would never be another for you. You will not love again… She is and was and will always be your only…_

But she was not him… She would love again, he feared. There would be another man who shared her bed, who touched her and took every inch of her. There would be another man who would make her tremble and shiver in his embrace… He closed his eyes, swallowing. Oh damn his cursed thoughts…

 _He wanted to be her only…_

He rested his head above hers so her own rested in the crook of his neck. He took in the scent of her, the feel of her body in his arms, and soon drifted into a sleep more blissful and peaceful than he had ever had before…

Frozen

He awakened first. He looked at the woman in his arms as the previous day's events returned to him.

 _She is your wife, and you her husband. She really is your wife…_

He kissed her softly and rose. The kiss awakened her and her eyes flickered open. She watched in silence as he gathered his clothes together and began to dress. He was beautiful, outlined in the glow of the sunrise. "Do you often rise this early?" she questioned.

He paused and smiled to himself, closing his eyes. Turning to her, he went towards the bed as she sat up, the blankets slipping off her upper body. He knelt on the bed and took her outstretched hand, kissing it adoringly then trailing the kisses up her arm to her elbow. He looked at her again and bent forward, kissing her lips. "A curse, I'm afraid," he answered.

"A curse? I think I could get used to waking up to watch you dress," she said. He smiled softly, a sad look in his eyes. He kissed her again but didn't answer. Rising, he went out to the balcony. She watched after him, sadness and worry in her eyes. She knew why he hadn't answered… She shivered at the thought that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be spared. No. He would be. She was queen! Though more often than not she deferred to the advice of her court for such crimes—she didn't want to be seen as a tyrant, you see—at the end of the day _she_ had the final say. But still… Even the idea of it pained her.

She rose and approached him quietly. She came up behind him, slipping her arms under his own and resting them on his shoulders, as well as her chin. "Whatever they decide, you will allow, Elsa," he said to her without turning. Inwardly she cringed. She didn't like that condition…

"Don't go through with this," she pled.

"It'll all be okay," he promised, covering her hand with his and squeezing gently. She was quiet.

 _But what if it isn't…?_

She closed her eyes, swallowing and pressing herself against her husband—her husband… he was her _husband_ —all the tighter. "Chameleon Prince, I will be yours in life or death," she said.

"Your own," he answered, turning to her and taking her into his arms. "You will be your own."

"I will be yours," she repeated firmly. "And you… You will be _mine_..." That was her decision, and she would hear no argument. He swallowed then pulled her close, kissing her lovingly.

 _He didn't want to ever let her go… He wouldn't suffer losing her._

She drew back, rubbing her nose lightly against his and drawing him towards the bed. Confused at first, he soon caught on, eyes lighting in realization. Hmm, perhaps he should have stayed undressed.

Frozen

They fell back onto the bed, him above her, holding her wrists above her head gently as he kissed her. Pulling away, he took in her form quietly. She smiled beguilingly at him then tilted her head back, closing her eyes and exposing her neck to him. Pressing his lips against it, he traced her leg and thigh with his hand up and down. He kissed her stomach, then, adoringly, and dragged his lips leisurely up her abdomen, between her breasts, to her throat and to her jawline. She trembled, breathing shakily in.

 _He wanted to be the only one to ever make her tremble like this…_

He _would_ be. No one else would ever have her in such a way. Have. He _hated_ the possessive word. No one else would ever be graced to touch her in this way. She tilted her head back further as his lips pressed against her throat, her fingers entwining in his hair. She wanted him. She wanted him so badly that it physically ached, and to be kept in suspense like this was driving her wild.

 _He knows it is. That is why he delays._

"I think you're enjoying this too much," she whispered breathily as she brought a leg up against his side and he caressed it gently.

"I am. But don't pretend you aren't," he answered against her chin,

 _Damn you, Prince of the Southern Isles._

His lips found her own again and gently he pulled at her lower lip as he drew back. She whimpered before she could stop herself and immediately chastised the reaction. It was giving him too much satisfaction. He chuckled deeply and she had half a mind to take him by surprise, but no sooner had her eyes opened, flashing dangerously, when he acted, entering into her body. She gave a cry, legs tightening around him as she threw back her head, taken off guard. She very nearly cursed under her breath, but instead her fingers found his, entwining around them and holding tightly. She gave a soft whimper.

"Shh… It only hurts for a moment," he whispered to her.

Oh, if only he knew, she inwardly thought. The pain was already forgotten as she adjusted to the feeling of him inside of her. He moved against her rhythmically, slow and gentle. Showing her the utmost respect.

 _She should never and will never be treated roughly… Unless she otherwise wants to be._

He quickly damned the latter portion of the thought and pretended it hadn't happened. He doubted highly it would be her preferred style, and it certainly wasn't his. That was more Franz's thing… And Jürgen's and Duach's… Alright, thoughts of brothers going away now. That was the _last_ thing he wanted ruining this.

She clung to him tightly, body moving and arching beneath his in pleasure. Oh, she had never begun to imagine anything could even _begin_ to feel like this! The way he treated her… It made her feel so loved… So deeply and dearly loved. Like there was nothing he wouldn't do for her sake. The way he handled her body made her feel so precious and adored and dignified. It had occurred to her too late that she perhaps should have made it clear to him what she would and wouldn't do when it came to matters of intimacy… But she knew, she _felt_ , that she would never need to.

 _He will do nothing to humiliate you ever, or to make you feel powerless or dishonored or ashamed or subservient. He loves you. This is not lust._

She let out a gasp of pleasure, and some soft moans, body tightening as she felt him push deeper inside of her, her body arching against him.

 _More. More!_

Gradually she felt herself approaching a state of euphoria as their love making continued on for a good while. Soon she reached her peak and cried out in ecstasy and bliss.

 _Yes, yes, yes!_

The way he felt her moving beneath him, writhing in his grasp in the throes of pleasure, excited him all the more, and soon he two was relishing in the ecstasy of it all. Oh, how certainly he did his best to ensure she savoured this elation for a good long while.

 _It is_ _ **your**_ _touch bringing her this pleasure._ _ **Your**_ _body against hers that brings her to this state, no one else's. **Your** ears that hear her elated cries and soft moans and gasps._

And it felt so right and so amazing, so perfect. There was no inch of her he didn't possess.

 _Oh damned that there was no word he could think of besides 'possess' to explain his thought. She would never be possessed!_

Her fingers entwined in his hair. Her body shivered in his embrace as eventually she began to come down from the physical high, panting for breath and gasping, thrilled and wanting so much more…

Frozen

They had gone until they were both spent. Which was a good long while, might it be added. Even now she found his body pressed so tightly against hers that it was only scarcely further away than when they'd been… intimate. His head rested against her shoulder and collarbone, which she didn't imagine was comfortable, but he seemed content so perhaps she was wrong. She didn't want him to let her go. She didn't want to be out of his embrace any sooner than absolutely necessary. She gazed out the window with him as they laid in silence, gently stroking his hair with a finger. Finally deciding that they couldn't very well lay here forever and that he should get up, he started to rise. She almost resented it. He kissed her eyes softly. She frowned disapprovingly at him.

"My maiden fair, don't give me that look," he teased. "You know we can't lay here all day."

"We can make a go of it," she answered. He smirked and kissed her jawbone gently before rising. She suddenly felt very cold without his body there, she noted. Or was more aware of the cold than she _had_ been, at least. She disliked that feeling. She wanted him back at her side again, she decided. With a sigh, she sat up and stretched, striking something of a pose.

"You're not seducing me back onto that bed," he said with a gentle grin.

"Fine. I'll seduce you somewhere else," she answered, standing.

"Really?" he asked, sounding unconvinced and in fact amused.

She smirked to herself, not turning to him. "I'm taking a bath before we leave," she answered.

He blinked blankly. Oh. That was what she meant. He flushed slightly before clearing his throat and turning away. "Then I know where to avoid," he said.

"You already miss my body pressed to yours," she answered. He shifted slightly, inwardly damning her for being right. She smiled, catching the slight unease mixed with desire. "You'll come," she said, walking away from him. He eyed her silently then strictly chastised himself, telling himself he wouldn't follow. About ten minutes in, he did.

Frozen

He stood in the door of the bathroom watching her lounge in the icy tub, head tilted back. He had to admit that it _did_ look cozy… "Join me, chameleon prince," she purred, turning her head to him with a sparkle in her eyes.

"I told you, not going to happen," Hans answered.

"You need a bath too anyway," she challenged. He shifted. Damn her for being right yet again. He saw her eyes drift to the gashes that had been left by Mor'du. Her smile fell to a more concerned look. He glanced at them. They needed to be cleaned again, he noted. Before they could get infected. He grimaced, becoming aware of the pain in them again. Ugh, these would be such horrible scars when they healed. She met his eyes again then smirked. "Join me," she said, reaching out her hand for him.

He did nothing for a moment, but soon crossed and took her hand, kissing the palm of it softly as he met her eyes with a seductive look. She smiled amusedly. "As my lady queen commands," he said, bringing his lips away from her palm. Soon he slipped into the bath water with her. At least it had _started_ innocent, he told himself about five minutes later when suddenly their shared bath had stopped being so innocent.


	23. Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice

(A/N: Last chapter/story of the first half, or so, of this series. Next half promises to be interesting, at least I hope, so stick around. Already working on the next installment.)

They rode towards the castle in silence. Elsa looked down, eyes closed. Hans rode alongside her silently. He hated that she was hurting. "If you don't tell them what happened, they will never really know," she soon said.

"But _I_ will," he answered.

"Don't do this," she pled again, turning to him.

"I'm sorry," he answered. But he'd made up his mind.

"I won't let you die," she said.

"Let whatever sentence they pass come to be. Please," he answered, turning to her.

"Why are you asking me to promise that?" she asked.

"I'm not," he answered. "I would never ask you to make a promise like that. Not even if the situation was worse than this, however much I might want it."

"Worse than the possibility of your dying?" she asked.

"Yes. The _certainty_ , or very, very near certainty, of my dying," he answered, and she felt her heart flip uneasily. "All I can do is make my request. I won't despise you, whatever you choose to do. I never could," he said. She was quiet, torn between wanting to respect his wish and wanting to save him.

Frozen

He stood before the shocked panel of judges, plus Anna, Kristoff, and the Duke of Weselton, boldly. They were all frankly still trying to understand why he had come back, trying to comprehend everything he had admitted to. He hadn't had to return and confess. If he had never spoken they would never have known!

 _But they had already known._

But they could have pretended otherwise! "You… why did you come back to confess to this? Didn't you know that it could doom you?" the Duke of Weselton finally managed to ask.

"I'm through running from consequences. I'm tired of being protected from them," he answered. "For once let me suffer whatever it is that's coming to me. Judge to the best of your abilities… Whatever decision you come to, Elsa will uphold." He hoped.

After a stunned moment, finally one of the judges spoke up. "How many more times, young prince, will you betray those who trust you? How many times have you already? Traitors never change. Traitors die," he flatly said, pragmatic and practical.

"You're wrong!" Kristoff instantly argued, sharply turning to the man. "Every treachery he's done since his first has been for a reason! Or at least _most_ of them have!"

"He betrayed the Queen to the wicked hobgoblin," the head judge said.

"It was a trick! It wasn't even his idea!" Anna argued to her own surprise.

"He betrayed the Queen to the pirate Xe," the man said.

"To give her the chance she needed to save the lives of the captives!" Kristoff protested.

"He betrayed the Queen and princess both to the Duke of Weselton," the judge said.

"To try and reach my heart to save it as well! And to save Arendelle from any revenge or war I would otherwise have brought on them," the Duke of Weselton stated.

"And what of this?" the judge asked. They were silent. The judge waited then said, "He has demonstrated time and time again his wickedness, his penchant for treachery, his blatant disregard for human life up to and including his own. How much worse will he become over time?"

"He had a reason for this! He must have. Hans?" Kristoff asked, hopefully looking at him. Hans was quiet. Kristoff stared in disbelief. No. No, he wasn't just going to take this lying down! He wouldn't let the prince do so either. "Hans, speak in your defense!" Kristoff insisted. Hans cringed. "Tell them about the Ice Maiden!" he blurted in a last desperate attempt.

Hans looked over at him so quickly the Ice Harvester actually jumped. "What?" the prince asked.

"We all know she had something to do with it!" Kristoff replied. He knew for a certainty all that had happened, but he wasn't speaking just for him. He was speaking for Anna, the Duke, and the judges too. "Why did you betray us again? You and all your brothers too? It doesn't make sense! One day you're all buddy-buddy with Anna and Elsa and the next sentencing Arendelle's queen to die? Hunting her down? No, I don't think so! Speak in your defense!" Kristoff shot.

"And in defense of your brothers. Arendelle cannot ignore an act of war such as the one Caleb carried out. If no reason is given, peace between your nations end," the Duke of Weselton said.

Hans gave him a look, summing him up. "You're bluffing," he finally said. The Duke was quiet. Hans looked down. The man was bluffing, he knew deceit… But the Duke made a point. As did Kristoff. There was no true justice if he didn't give his reasons for his actions. "I don't know why I did what I did. It seemed the best option. The perfect victory. Victory over the Ice Maiden and over the mirror shards, victory over own my fate… They would stop hurting the people I cared about if I was gone… At least that's how I reasoned it. If I were dead, the world would be better off… Part of me still believes as much…" Hans said, lifting his hand up. Immediately fire sprang up in is and all who saw gasped in horror, staring in shock.

"Hans… You-you have… Oh gods…" Anna breathed.

Hans cancelled the flame and turned to them. "I've said all I could in my defense. It sounds weak even to _my_ ears, but it's what happened," he said. "Now I'll say no more. Make your judgements.

"He is surprisingly popular with the people," another of the judges said to the head judge. "To have him executed would be to invite disaster on ourselves and potentially the monarchy. Even knowing all he did, they continued to praise his actions during the great freeze and credit him with the saving of many lives. It is even widely believed that he is the _sole_ reason there was no loss of life. That is a belief I tend to share."

"Perhaps," the head judge mused.

"To say nothing of the outrage of the Southern Isles, should their brother be killed. If we are not officially at war yet, then afterwards we _would_ be," a third judge pressed.

"I used to think he could never change… I would have happily had him executed once. But he's changed. I know it's hard to believe people like that can change, but he did! I see it now! I can't say I trust him, I can't say I forgive or even really like him that much, but if nothing else he doesn't deserve to die," Anna protested. Hans gave her a look that screamed 'thanks a lot'. She blushed, grinning innocently and guiltily as she shrugged. He couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at my wife!" Kristoff protested.

"Really? You want to do this now?" Hans demanded of him. Kristoff glanced at the judges, who were glaring disdainfully at him, and cringed, backing down. It was clear they didn't approve of their princess's beau and probably never would. As far as _they_ were concerned, he was a filthy peasant. So he should probably shut up now until he'd earned a bit more respect among the higher-ups.

"Do you not have somewhere to be, Ice Harvester?" one of the judges bit.

"Don't talk to him like that!" Anna protested. "Remember who he is, judge. You insult him you insult me. You insult me you insult Elsa, got it?"

"Enough! From all of you. This is a professional setting and so help me you'll be professional," Elsa's voice suddenly said. They all looked up to the floor above where she stood watching. For how long had she been there, they wondered? Anna cringed. Her sister looked so serious and solemn… The Queen's eyes roamed to Hans and remained, and the way he looked at her and she looked at him… Anna swallowed, turning away. It was apparent that whatever issue they had had on the Southern Isles had somehow, at some point, been resolved, and so Anna knew that if the prince died, Elsa would be devastated. Elsa turned back to the judges. "Make your judgement," she said to them.

Frozen

The men were quiet. After a moment they began to deliberate amongst themselves. Kristoff took the opportunity to rise and go to Hans. Hey, the guy could probably use some serious moral support about now. Anna, for her part, went up to her sister. "Hey," Kristoff said.

"Hey," Hans replied quietly.

"Hang in there, your highness. Things will work out," Kristoff lamely said, forcing a grin so it wouldn't be so obvious that he didn't believe his own words. Lightly he punched Hans's shoulder.

Hand 'oomphed' and rubbed it, giving him a look. Kristoff cringed, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. Hans sighed then smirked. "Hey, you tried," he said, punching Kristoff's shoulder lightly back. Kristoff started then grinned, impressed. So, the prince _could_ act like a normal guy if he wanted to. Good to know. Of course, it kind of wouldn't matter now, if Hans was deemed unworthy of life, but still!

"You and Elsa ever make up?" Kristoff worriedly asked. Hans went bright red, suddenly looking awkward and guilty as he recalled Kristoff didn't know. Kristoff frowned curiously. "What did I say?" he asked.

"I-you-we-we… It's fine!" Hans blurted in response. Kristoff looked at him like he'd grown two heads.

"Hey, what's with the awkwardness? If I didn't know better I'd say you two had…" Wait. Oh god. His eyes widened and he looked at Hans in horror, who was blushing brightly again. "Oh my god!" he exclaimed.

"You _slept_ with him?!" Anna screamed from above in shock. All eyes turned towards the sisters in horror except for Kristoff, who cringed. Huh, his wife had taken the words right from his mouth. Minus the 'him' part.

Elsa stood gawking at her sister, utterly mortified. Anna was mortified now too, having slammed her hands over her mouth upon realizing she'd just screamed that out loud. "Oops," she finally managed to squeak.

"What?!" the Duke of Weselton finally managed to blurt.

"He has tainted the queen!" a judge exclaimed. "Guards!" Hans gasped, tensing up.

"No, it wasn't like that! You don't understand!" Elsa cried out, starting to panic a bit.

"You married her," Kristoff realized out loud. No way in heaven or on earth would Hans have ever touched that woman without making damn sure she could never be scandalized. The Prince cared for and respected her way too much for that. Everything went quiet as all eyes turned to the prince.

Hans stood stock still. After a very, very long and tense silence, he answered, "Yes. Yes. I married the queen. Is it really that shocking? We _were_ engaged, you know, I mean come on!"

"Queen Elsa, is that true?" the Duke of Weselton asked, turning to her.

"I… Yes… I was going to have a ceremony here once all of this blew over. A ceremony with the grand hall and the royal guests and the catering and reception and being walked down the aisle by you, but… but he had decided he needed to face the consequences for all he'd done and I couldn't talk him out of it and we-we just-we didn't…" she began. She trailed off.

"You didn't know if he would be shown any mercy," the Duke finished for her. "Whatever time he had left, you wanted to have it together."

"I… Yes," Elsa answered.

"Wait, are you saying he's King now?" Anna asked, pointing at him.

"Princes who marry reigning queens do not become Kings. They become prince consorts or king consorts," the head judge corrected. Whichever title the reigning queen granted. "Which is it, my lady queen?"

She was quiet. "King," she finally answered, looking at her husband with certainty. "He will be my king consort." By his expression, the declaration had totally shocked him. She inwardly smiled. That was the title she chose to give to him. It made her feel like they were on a more equal footing. She _wanted_ them to be on a more equal footing. To be entirely truthful, she also intended to give him more power than most would deem wise, up to the equivalent, or near equivalent rather, of her own. She chose this because she wanted him to know beyond any doubt that she had come to trust in him. Trust him with her life and her heart and her body, trust him with the lives of her sister and Kristoff, trust him with the survival of her kingdom, her people, with _everything_. Everything she had would be his, and she would _not_ come to regret it. He loved her, and yes, she was willing to put all her trust in this man who had been a traitor… Part of her said she was a fool to do so, but she wouldn't hear it. This was _her_ show of trust. This was _her_ test. She knew with her whole being that he would pass it. The room was silent.

Frozen

The judges had deemed him worthy of life. Even before they knew he had wed their queen they had determined he would live. The intention was initially, of course, to banish him back to his own kingdom and order him to never return to Arendelle again on pain of death. It was apparent that was no longer an option, so it appeared they were taking among the biggest gambles they ever had taken to date. The wedding bells tolled loudly in the streets as the Queen and prince kissed in front of the eyes of the people guests, Elsa wrapping her arms around his neck and him holding her about the waist. The guests cheered for their Queen and her king consort, as the people too as they heard the bells toll loudly. They exited the hall side by side. The people parted for them continuing to cheer. Elsa grinned, looking out over them, and waved elegantly with her free hand as the other held her husband's as they made for the icy sleigh. Hans copied her cue to wave, smiling at the people.

"They are your subjects now. As much as they are mine," she said to him quietly, looking at him as they entered the sleigh and it took off towards the palace as the citizens followed it.

"I wouldn't feel right calling them mine," he replied.

"I didn't feel right calling them mine after _father's_ death. You'll get used to it," she said. "Everything I have is now yours as well."

"You've given me so much more than I deserve already," he said.

"It is mine to share with whoever I will," she answered. "And I choose to share it with you. They're your people as well as mine."

"They're my people," he repeated, trying to adjust to the feel of saying those words on his tongue. "No… No, I don't think I'll ever get used to that fully."

"You're afraid of yourself, Chameleon prince," she said, leaning against his arm. "Afraid that to call them yours will awaken corrupting power in you. But it won't. I know it won't."

His smile fell. "Mor'du…" he began.

"Forget Mor'du," she said, cutting him off. "If that time comes, we'll deal with it like we dealt with them this time. You can stand against him, and I will be there to help you always."

He smiled and kissed her gently. "When will Anna and Kristoff's mock wedding be?" he wondered, smirking.

"In two days," Elsa replied, giggling. No neighboring ruler was returning home, that was for sure. "I couldn't talk her into waiting longer than that."

"The land will be filled with rejoicing for a good while yet, then," Hans said.

"From here on in," Elsa confirmed. She looked to the castle as they pulled up to the front doors. "This is your home now… Do you miss the Southern Isles at all?" she asked as he leapt out of the sleigh and reached up, lifting her down.

"Perhaps in some ways, but not enough to regret leaving it… Though by some miracle I might actually regret leaving _them_ ," he said, looking to the side and watching his brothers hurrying to congratulate him.

Elsa smiled. "Go on you," she said, letting him go so he could meet them. She watched him run to his siblings and be embraced by them. She watched them enthusiastically speak and on occasion pay off bets they'd made with one another that had probably bordered on cruel. Smirking hopelessly, she shook her head. He would not go home with them any longer. Her smile fell. She didn't want to ever imagine leaving Anna. Thinking of how doing so would make her feel, she almost regretted that because of this union Hans would have to leave his own brothers. But at the same time she knew that it would be alright in the end. After all, only Moren even technically still _lived_ in the castle of the Southern Isles. Maybe a few others, but not many. Most resided on the various islands they had lordship over, more often than not. Perhaps this felt no different to Hans and she was just being paranoid. When he looked at her, when she saw the love and gratitude that filled his eyes, she knew for sure she was just paranoid. She smiled gently back. Things could only go up from here, right?

 _She was very wrong._

Frozen

The massive paw dug through the snowy tomb trapping the hobgoblin. Carabis's head was the first thing uncovered, and the evil sprite took in air greedily. Standing a little in front of his snowy tomb stood the bear, looking less than impressed and very, very severely damaged. "Here I thought your victory was a guarantee," the hobgoblin bit at Mor'du. "You were on top of him and you couldn't deal with him? He is just a man." The bear roared loudly, standing on its two legs and turning menacingly on the wicked hobgoblin. The troll, suddenly more than a little uneasy, moved away from it. The bear eyed the creature carefully and became darkly satisfied. The hybrid fae was _afraid_. Good.

"N-now, now, Mor'du. Calm your restless soul. Soon enough you will have your chance," the hobgoblin neatly covered. In fury the bear roared before turning and lumbering away with what sounded like a warning, and threatening, growl at Carabis. Carabis watched him leave then limped back to his hideaway where all his fellow corrupted fae resided. From here on, he would take them with him wherever he went so they would be there at his beck and call. If they had come to his aid, the princes wouldn't have escaped. Soon enough they wouldn't, anymore. Everything was a waiting game. After all, they were only mortal...

* * *

(A/N: And end story. As stated above, the next part is already under construction. Happens about half a year after all of this did. Starts out pretty light but will take a pretty tragic turn not too far in. Most of the second half, or so, of this series is still being planned out and constructed, though, so no idea how that'll all go, but hopefully it'll be as good as the first half was. Thank you all for your reviews and support. It means a lot to me and really motivates me to do my best with this story. Not sure I'd have the motivation to continue on without the support. Not sure when the next story will be up, maybe a few months, maybe a few weeks, I'm certainly hoping only a few weeks, but we'll see.)


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